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Trump lawyer Alina Habba claps back at claims ex-POTUS didn't get a jury because she forgot to tick a box

Donald Trump's lawyer Alina Habba said the allegation against her is a 'misconception'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Donald Trump's lawyer Alina Habba clapped back at memes after recent claims suggested that the former US President failed to get a jury trial in his $250 million civil fraud suit as Habba forgot to tick a box during the paperwork. 

The claims emerged after The Messengers' Adam Klasfeld reported that on Monday, October 2, New York Judge Arthur Ergoron said that he is holding a bench trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James' fraud lawsuit against Trump because "nobody asked for" a jury trial on either side.

However, during her recent appearance on Newsmax’s 'The Balance', Habba told host Eric Bolling that the allegation against her was a "misconception."

What do experts say about the claims? 

After Klasfeld reported that "nobody asked for" a jury trial for Trump, The Guardian's Hugo Lowell took to X, formerly Twitter, to explain, "Trump isn’t getting a jury trial in his $250m civil fraud suit brought against him by New York AG James because his legal team didn’t request one on the paperwork." 

"So Alina Habba didn't demand a jury trial?!" asked MSNBC's legal analyst Katie Phang, adding, "I wonder how Trump feels about this screw-up by his legal team."

Former US Attorney Harry Litman said, "I had heard this rumor, and now the judge just confirmed it. It is mind-blowing."

"For Trump to have his fate in the hands of this judge, whom he has vilified, is malpractice by his lawyers and very ominous for him," he added. 

"I honestly can't believe that any lawyer hired on such an important case could make this mistake," wrote defense attorney Andrew Fleischman. 

"But I also can't think of any strategic reason you'd want a bench trial in front of a judge who just sanctioned your lawyers for making frivolous arguments," the attorney added. 

Internet reacts to the claims against Alina Habba

The internet was quick to react to the claims against Habba using a barrage of hilarious memes and funny comments.

"When the judge just informed your client that the only reason he doesn’t get a jury trial is because you forgot to check the box to ask for one," editor Ron Filipkowski wrote using an image of Habba as a meme.

"Is that for real?? I don’t know whether to laugh or feel sad for her…. " one user asked. 

"I only hire the best people," one user said, quoting Trump. 

"You are fired - Trump to his lawyer," another joked. 

Others also continued to react to the claims with funny memes. 

What did Alina Habba say about the allegation?

Habba addressed the allegation during Newsmax’s 'The Balance' and said the idea of Trump not getting a jury because she forgot to tick a box was a "misconception."

"I have to address this one common misconception in the press, and unfortunately it just keeps getting repeated, which is that we had this great option to have a box checked for a jury. No, we didn’t have that. That’s not how this works," she said.

"They brought it under Section 63 (12) which is a very narrow, not appropriately used section of the law, which is for consumer protection," Habba explained.

"It’s not this, and that is why we’re sitting here in front of a judge dealing with values of property, where real estate, anybody with real estate brains, anybody with real estate experience, even laymen, can understand that a tax assessment is not the same as the market value of your property, period," she continued.

The lawyer also said, "The banks were paid back in full. There was absolutely no defaults, no notices of default. Every loan was paid back and paid back sometimes early." She added, "This is a joke."

What is Section 63 (12)?

New York Executive Law 63(12) is a law in the Big Apple that reportedly gives the Attorney General of New York broad the power to investigate and prosecute cases of civil fraud, the New York Times reported. 

According to 'The Role of The Attorney General in Environmental Enforcement' by Peter H Lehner and Christopher A Amato, Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York Environmental Protection Bureau, the law gives the Attorney General far-reaching powers to issue subpoenas with low legal hurdles to do so. 

The law was reportedly passed in 1956 during Jacob Javits' time as Attorney General.

It was with the help of the same law that New York Attorney General, James, accused Trump and his family business of lying to lenders and insurers about the value of their properties in order to secure more favorable terms in 2022, as per the New York Times.