In a surprising turn of events, Former President Donald Trump has announced that he will not testify as planned in his New York civil fraud trial. The decision comes after a contentious hearing on November 6, where Trump clashed with Judge Arthur Engoron, delivering long and rambling responses to questions.

Trump was originally summoned to testify by lawyers representing New York Attorney General Letitia James. The attorney general's office has accused Trump, his two sons, and their company of engaging in a decade-long fraud scheme intended to benefit themselves by obtaining favorable loan and insurance terms, allegedly amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Expected to be the final witness for his defense, Trump's attorney, Christopher Kise, released a statement asserting that the former president had already testified and contending that the judge had imposed an unconstitutional gag order. Kise argued that the judge had seemingly ignored Trump's testimony as well as that of all others involved in the complex financial transactions at the center of the case.

Following Trump's last appearance on the stand on November 6, he made a subsequent return to the New York courtroom on December 7. During this session, his defense team questioned their final expert witness.

With the conclusion of the witness testimonies, both sides will have over three weeks to submit written filings to the judge, before reconvening for closing arguments on January 11. Judge Engoron has indicated that his final ruling is expected to be issued several weeks later.

The outcome of this trial holds significant implications for the former president and his sons, as their reputations and potential legal consequences are at stake. The New York civil fraud trial has captured national attention, and many eagerly await the judge's verdict in the highly complex and contentious case.

It remains to be seen how this latest development, with Trump's decision to forgo further testimony, will ultimately impact the trial's outcome. The absence of the former president's direct testimony may shape the arguments put forth by both the prosecution and defense as they prepare their written filings and present their cases to the judge.