Several federal D.C. judges joined members of the public to attend former President Trump’s third arraignment in less than four months.
Before either or special counsel Jack Smith had entered the courtroom Thursday, several federal judges walked in and sat in the back row of the gallery.
The presence of judges sitting among the public underscored the extraordinary nature of the they were there to watch, a former president charged with federal felonies related to his efforts to overturn an election.
The group included D.C. District Chief Judge James Boasberg and Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who said during a 2021 sentencing hearing that those who egged on the Jan. 6 rioters «stoked the flames of fear.»
They watched as Smith walked in and took his seat among at least a dozen prosecutors and investigators.
A few minutes later came Trump, whose entourage included attorneys Evan Corcoran, Todd Blanche and John Lauro, as well as the spokesperson for Trump’s presidential campaign, Steven Cheung.
