Article snippet: MORE’s criminal trial on bank and tax fraud charges was held up for several hours Friday as the federal judge presiding over the case repeatedly met with federal prosecutors and Manafort’s defense attorneys. Judge T.S. Ellis III, who has otherwise placed a priority on the trial moving quickly, pushed the start of witness testimony in the trial until Friday afternoon, according to multiple media reports. Ellis began the day by holding a bench conference with attorneys from both sides before the jury was called into the courtroom, and held a second conference before leaving the room “to consider an issue," according to Politico. Multiple news outlets noted that the judge did not exit through the door toward his chambers, but instead through doors in the direction of the jury room. Ellis returned about 45 minutes later, at which point he summoned the jury for attendance and said they would take an early lunch break. He reiterated to the jury the importance of not discussing the case with anyone, reminding them that Manafort has “a presumption of innocence” and to “keep an open mind until all the evidence is in," Politico reported. The delay came after special counsel MORE’s team criticized Ellis in a court filing Friday, urging the judge to tell the jury to ignore one of his previous comments in order to prevent them from misunderstanding the gravity of testimony presented to them. Ellis had interjected Thursday during the questioning of a bank employee by prosecut... Link to the full article to read more