Former President Trump’s lawyers have asked the New York judge overseeing his hush money case to block a limited gag order proposed by state prosecutors, weeks before his landmark trial begins. .
President Trump’s lawyers Susan Necheles and Todd Blanche said in a new court filing Monday that the former president’s status as a potential candidate for the 2024 election, where he is almost certain to win the Republican nomination, , said states should be prohibited from restricting Trump’s speech during the trial. .
“Imposing prior restraints on President Trump’s First Amendment speech is unconstitutional and illegal, especially as the public has been making waves around Super Tuesday and as President Biden has turned the State of the Union into his own politics. “The defense team made this request as they prepare to use this case to attack President Trump on politically motivated charges, including this one.”
If the proposed gag order is approved by Judge Juan Marchan, President Trump would have made comments about court officials other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), their families, and prosecutors “intentionally”. It will be prohibited as long as it is carried out. “Substantially interfering with the case.” Trump will also be prohibited from commenting on the jury.
In their motion, prosecutors cited President Trump’s “long history of making inflammatory statements in public” in numerous legal matters as the reason for imposing the gag order.
“These statements, as well as the inevitable reactions they will provoke from the defendant’s followers and allies, pose a serious and imminent threat to the orderly conduct of this criminal proceeding and are very likely to give rise to serious prejudice.” “Expensive,” they wrote.
Gag orders were imposed on Trump in his civil fraud case in New York and his federal criminal case in Washington, D.C.
In Trump’s fraud case, which recently concluded with Trump and his co-defendants ordered to pay more than $464 million, Trump’s Truth social accounts revealed that Trump’s chief law clerk was named by Senate Majority Whip Chuck. A New York state judge also imposed a similar gag order after he was mistakenly mocked as a general secretary. “Girlfriend” by Schumer (D.N.Y.).
Mr. Trump sued Judge Arthur Engoron over the order, but a higher court upheld his ruling before the state Supreme Court declined further review. A judge fined Trump $15,000 for two violations of the gag order.
President Trump’s gag order in his federal election interference case prohibited him from making statements that would “target” foreseeable witnesses, court officials, or prosecutors. The former president also appealed the order, but a federal appeals court sided with U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case.
President Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records related to hush money paid to hush adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. .
His trial is scheduled to begin on March 25, and will be the first criminal trial for a former president, and the first criminal trial for a former president.
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