With his first criminal trial just weeks away, the judge presiding over The People of New York v. Donald J. Trump imposed a gag order on the former president, barring him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, and jurors.
Manhattan Judge Juan Manuel Merchan, as Law&Crime previously reported, had warned Trump and his defense team earlier this month that with the likelihood of bribery, jury tampering or other physical injury and harassment, the imposition of a gag order was well within the realm of possibilities.
In Tuesday’s order, Merchan said he was left unconvinced these few weeks later that Trump could stop himself from making comments that would threaten the integrity of proceedings.
Trump’s insistence that as the “presumptive Republican nominee and leading candidate in the 2024 election,” he should have “unfettered access to the voting public” to make attacks or criticize public opponents who are public figures, is wrong.
Merchan wrote:
Defendant contends that continued compliance with the existing orders, referencing both this Court’s admonition at the start of the proceedings and the recent protective order issued on March 7, 2024 with respect to juror anonymity is an effective and less restrictive alternative.
He supports the position by noting he has generally refrained from making extrajudicial statements about individuals associated with the instant case in marked contrast from the significant volume of social media posts and other statements targeting individuals involved in every other court proceeding reflecting in the People’s submission.
The court is unpersuaded.
Trump’s track record of making inflammatory extrajudicial statements was uncontested, according to the judge.
It established the “sufficient risk” necessary under legal standards and “there exists no less restrictive means to prevent such risk,” Merchan added.
The criminal trial in New York, after a brief delay, is slated to begin April 15 with jury selection.
In addition to commentary on the witnesses or their roles, Trump is banned from making remarks about the prosecutors, court staff and their family members so long as his statements would be those attempting to interfere with his criminal case, the gag order stipulates.
This story is developing.
The post ‘The court is unpersuaded’: Judge slaps Trump with gag order in hush money criminal case, scoffs at claims he hasn’t attacked witness in this case first appeared on Law & Crime.
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Author: Brandi Buchman
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