Donald Trump was hit by a gag order from a judge on Tuesday sought by prosecutors in his upcoming criminal trial involving hush money payments to porn stars, restricting him from publicly commenting on witnesses and court staff.
The trial of the former U.S. president is scheduled to begin in New York state court on April 15, after Judge Juan Merchan approved the last decision of the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. A request for an order was filed on month.
Prosecutors sought an order preventing Trump from “making or directing others to make” statements about the witness’s role in the case and barring comments to court staff and prosecutors other than Bragg himself.
Prosecutors said silencing Trump was necessary because of his “long history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, judges and others involved in the legal proceedings against him.”
Trump’s lawyers argued that the gag order would violate his right to free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and leave him unable to defend himself against attacks on the case by political opponents.
After prosecutors highlighted Trump’s history of publicly mocking trial jurors and grand jurors, Merchants separately ruled on March 7 that all but Trump, his attorneys, prosecutors and a handful of others could Must remain anonymous.
Bragg’s case is one of four criminal charges facing the Republican presidential nominee, all of which Trump has pleaded not guilty and described as politically motivated.
It may be the only case to go to trial ahead of his expected Nov. 5 rematch with President Joe Biden.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment from his former lawyer Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels Reimbursement of expenses to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump before the 2016 election. ten years ago.
Trump has denied having contact with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
The gag order being requested is similar to restrictions imposed by a federal judge last year in a criminal case in which Trump sought to overturn his loss to Biden in the 2020 election.
Trump also faces state criminal charges in Georgia for pushing to overturn the 2020 election results and federal criminal charges in Florida for his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving the White House in 2021.
Last year, in a separate civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, another New York state judge fined Trump for twice violating a gag order that prohibited him from speaking publicly about court staff. $15,000 fine.
Trump is appealing a $454.2 million verdict in the case, alleging that he deceived lenders by misrepresenting the value of properties owned by his family’s real estate company. On March 25, a midlevel state appeals court suspended the verdict as long as Trump posted a smaller bond of $175 million within 10 days.
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