Star of Manafort courtroom drama? Judge earns the honor
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Every big trial has a star - a crusading prosecutor or a slick defense attorney, a red-faced defendant or an emotional witness. For the trial of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, it's none of the above.
As the proceedings enter their second week, the indisputable center of attention so far is the judge, T.S. Ellis III, whose cantankerous, jocular, impatient and verbose presence has shaped each step of the way.
From his high-backed, burgundy leather chair, a wave of thin hair atop his head, Ellis pivots between jokes and rebukes, making him the rare source of theater in a case that has dwelt on dreary financial records and testimony from accountants.
"If I was at a dinner party, I would want
