The judge overseeing former President Trump's New York hush money trial admonished defense witness Robert Costello Monday for his reactions while on the stand.
Why it matters: It was one of the most dramatic moments of the ongoing Trump criminal trial, which is now in its sixth week, and led the judge to temporarily clear the courtroom.
- "I want to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom," Judge Juan Merchan said to Costello, per the New York Times. Costello, a lawyer, was once Michael Cohen's legal adviser.
- "If you don't like my ruling, you don't say 'jeez,' and you don't say 'strike it,' because I'm the only one who can strike testimony in court," Merchan said.
- "You don't give me side-eye and you don't roll your eyes," he said, per NBC News.
Driving the news: Merchan asked Costello: "Are you staring me down?" before clearing the courtroom, per CNN.
Zoom out: The tense moment came after Cohen finished a days-long testimony in the ongoing New York trial.
- Merchan suggested earlier Monday that closing arguments in the case take place on May 28, as the first-ever criminal trial of a former president nears its conclusion.
- The prosecution rested its case on Monday.
Go deeper: Michael Cohen finishes testifying in Trump's NY hush money trial
