Instead of the judge in the Chauvin trial calling out and berating Maxine Waters,...

[brush]

shouldn't he have turned his ire on the defense attorney and admonished him for even bringing her comments up? I mean the jury is seated in the jury box and paying attention to the closing statements, not online or watching TV to know anything about what the Congresswoman said.

IMO that was a poor call by the judge.

[WarGamer]

1. there's a REASON WHY...

He needed to get the comments on the official record for appeals purposes.

It's done every day in Courts.

No great mystery.

[Siwsan]

2. The defense attorney doesn't have much confidence in the jury following instructions

Maxine Waters was hardly the only person speaking up and out and not the only news story that would be problematic if the jury WASN'T following the judge's instructions to not watch, read or listen to any media concerning the trial.

I flashed back to when Nixon declared Manson guilty, during the trial. That didn't cause a mistrial, and if it was ever used in an attempt to get the verdict overturned, it obviously didn't work.

[drray23]

3. the jury was not seated.

They had the jury out of the room when they were discussing this and other related matters.

[Bev54]

5. Exactly, let's not get our knickers in a knot

when, we may not like it, but the defense is doing it's job in trying everything for their client. If the jury was in the room this would have done as a bench conversation, when it is not, you can be sure the jury is not in the room

[FBaggins]

4. I didn't see it...

... but no judge would hear such a motion with the jury sitting there.

And almost any defense attorney would make that motion. Don't think they would expect it to be granted... but they would ask.