The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the Manhattan federal judge who presided over the trial of Michael Avenatti had not acted inappropriately. This resolves the contentious issue surrounding an unplanned instruction he had given the jurors amid signs of a deadlock. Avenatti, widely known for representing Stormy Daniels in her case against former President Donald Trump, was standing trial on charges of defrauding his now ex-client, Daniels.
These recent findings from the Second Circuit’s examination lend credibility to the decision by the presiding judge in Avenatti’s trial. The judge’s impromptu instruction to the jury reminded them of their duties, an act that might have triggered suspicion of undue coercion in deliberations. With this ruling in their favor, the judge’s intervention has been deemed legitimate and necessary under the circumstances of a possibly deadlocked panel.
Michael Avenatti’s trial has been a significant event that has played out in the legal and public spheres over the past months. The embattled lawyer, once a boldface name in high-profile litigations, faces ongoing legal battles, even as this recent ruling brings closure to one of the bickering points in his case.