Complaints about the temperature in the Manhattan courtroom where Former President Donald Trump’s is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records have dominated the headlines. Trump’s lead attorney asked if the judge could possibly warm things up a degree or two.
According to multiple reports, Judge Juan Merchan responded “It is cold, there’s no question it is cold, but I’d rather be a little cold than sweaty, and really those are the choices. I agree with you it’s chilly, no question.”
During jury selection, the judge apologized at one point to potential juries, explaining that he couldn’t do much about the temperature, and that it was “one extreme or another,” according to Forbes. “I would rather be cold than sweating,” he said. “Those are the choices.”
The Manhattan Criminal Courthouse was built in 1941, and as the New Yorker recently quipped, it’s HVAC has two settings, “ice box or oven.” Trump has regularly railed to reporters after court is dismissed for the day about the temperature in the court room, claiming he’s “freezing.”
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
