Beyond yes or no: Judge Richard Leon’s options in the AT&T antitrust case

By Hadas Gold

Every morning for the past four weeks of the AT&T antitrust trial, the people in courtroom 18 of the US District Court for the District of Columbia stand for Judge Richard Leon as he enters and approaches the bench, clad in a bow tie and gown.

It’s like watching a king taking his throne. And in this case — Leon is king.

The lawsuit the US Justice Department brought to stop AT&T’s planned acquisition of Time Warner, CNN’s parent company, is a bench trial — meaning there is no jury and it is up to Leon to decide whether the deal can go through.

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