'Losing patience': N.Y. judge reportedly at end of his rope over Trump witness tampering

  (Raw Story) : Former President Donald Trump is increasingly enraging Judge Juan Merchan with his antics that appear to be calculated to intimidate witnesses and jurors, Aaron Blake wrote for The Washington Post. The New York trial, where Trump is accused of business fraud for concealing an alleged hush payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in a purported scheme to undermine the 2016 presidential election, has already seen Merchan fine the former president for contempt of court — and threaten him with jail. "It’s not just that he’s violated his gag order 10 times. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has also cited three instances of what he suggests could be witness or juror intimidation by Trump," wrote Blake. "Some experts say Trump’s actions are ambiguous enough that Merchan might be reluctant to sanction him. But the judge appears to be broadly losing patience with Trump’s antics." ALSO READ: Trump’s Manhattan trial could determine whether rule of law survives: criminologist One of the clearest cases of this came during yesterday's testimony from Daniels herself, where Merchan ordered defense attorney Todd Blanche to control his client as Trump started "cursing audibly." "New York law defines third-degree witness intimidation — a felony — as when someone 'wrongfully compels or attempts to compel' someone to refrain from communicating pertinent information 'by means of instilling in him a fear that the actor will cause physical injury to such other person or another person,'" wrote Blake. The challenge is that ..