Someone asked: "I've read suspicions that they are trying to provoke the judge and get some grounds for a later mistrial. What's your thought on that?"
That won't work. I spent 12 years writing appeals for people who lost their trials, so I can speak with confidence when I say provoking a judge doesn't get you a mistrial.
Provoking a judge makes you look bad in front of appellate judges, most of whom were trial judges and are generally in sympathy with the judge.
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