Judge Tells Menéndez Lawyer to Shut Up

The Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) trial got off to a fiery start yesterday. Politicoreports that U.S. District Court Judge William H. Walls told a lawyer for Menéndez to "shut up for a moment" as the two engaged in a heated argument during the first moments of the corruption trial. Reportedly, after court proceedings began, defense attorney Raymond Browncriticized Judge Walls for a line in his opinion on Friday that rejected Menéndez’s request that the trial be recessed on days where the Senate is taking “critical” votes, so that the senator can be in Washington. Brown said that Walls was “speculative as to our motives.” Brown and Walls then began talking over each other. “Shut up for a moment if you don’t mind,” Walls said. “I said what I said” to “underscore what I considered the lack of merits in this motion," Walls added. Yikes. Politico has the full story.