A New York judge has issued a gag order against Donald Trump ahead of his upcoming criminal hush money case scheduled to begin on April 15th.
Under this order, Trump is prohibited from publicly discussing court staff, jurors, witnesses, or lawyers associated with the district attorney’s office, as well as their families. However, the gag order does not extend to the district attorney himself.
Trump’s campaign has criticized the order, arguing that it infringes upon his free speech rights. The order specifically targets comments made with the intention to materially interfere with the case.
The gag order was granted by Justice Juan Merchan after a request from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Earlier today, Trump had attacked Justice Merchan’s daughter on his Truth Social account and labeled the judge as a “certified Trump hater.”
Trump is facing 34 felony counts related to alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election. He maintains his innocence, attributing the charges to political motives.
In justifying the gag order, Justice Merchan emphasized that Trump’s statements were not merely self-defense but were “threatening, inflammatory, denigrating,” causing fear and necessitating increased security measures for those targeted.
The district attorney had sought the gag order in February, citing Trump’s history of attacking opponents. Trump’s legal team argued against it, citing his status as a leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination and claiming the restrictions would be unconstitutional.
This is not the first time Trump has faced such restrictions; previously, a judge imposed a gag order in a civil case involving his real estate ventures after he targeted a court clerk on social media. Trump was fined twice for violating this order.
Additionally, Trump is required to pay a bond of $454 million resulting from the civil fraud trial, although an appeals court recently reduced this amount to $175 million temporarily.
