Giuliani defamation trial: Jury awards election workers nearly $150 million

Judge Howell criticized key arguments presented at trial by Rudy Giuliani's attorney before jurors entered the courtroom this morning, reiterating her prior rulings that the former mayor's rhetoric about Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss was "totally false."

Howell was responding to a last-ditch effort by Giuliani attorney Joseph Sibley to seek a ruling that plaintiffs had failed to meet the burden of proving their case, known as a Rule 50 motion.

Howell denied that motion, and in the process took aim at arguments core to Sibley's case -- as well as comments Giuliani had made outside of court.

"The powerful testimony of these Georgia officials demonstrated again and again and again" that those allegations were "totally false," Howell said of earlier testimony from two Georgia investigators that there was no evidence of election fraud.

Freeman and Moss organized "no highfalutin strategy like the one Giuliani" coordinated on behalf of former President Donald Trump, the judge added.

Howell took particular issue with Sibley's attempt to claim that no amount of money could change the mind of those who believe the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Sibley compared them to "flat-Earthers," who believe, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that the Earth is flat.

Prior to the unexpected announcement this morning that Rudy Giuliani will not testify in his own defense, the former mayor had repeatedly told reporters that he looked forward to presenting his side of the story at trial.

"When I testify, the whole story will be definitively clear that what I said was true, and that, whatever happened to them, which is unfortunate about other people overreacting -- everything I said about them is true," Giuliani told ABC News' Terry Moran on Monday.

When court reconvened the following morning, on Tuesday, a visibly frustrated Judge Beryl Howell admonished Giuliani, suggesting his remarks "could support another defamation claim."

She reiterated the court's prior ruling that Giuliani's allegations against Freeman and Moss were untrue and cautioned him against raising arguments that she has already ruled on.

In an unexpected twist, Rudy Giuliani will not testify in his defamation trial, an attorney said as court convened this morning.

Giuliani told reporters on Wednesday that he "intends" to testify today in his own defense.

In a preview of what he might have said on the stand, Giuliani claimed he "had nothing to do with any of those" racist voicemails and emails shown in court.

Leaving court, Rudy Giuliani said he had nothing do to with the racially charged messages to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss that were presented in court.

"I had nothing to do with any of those," Giuliani told reporters.

"My name isn't there. It doesn't refer to me," the former mayor said. "I don't even know who those people are."