Trump asks judge to lift gag order banning comments on jurors, witnesses after conviction in NY ‘hush money’ case
NEW YORK — Donald Trump on Tuesday asked the judge overseeing his criminal trial on charges stemming from hush money payments to porn actresses to lift a gag order in the case for which he was convicted last week.
Before the trial began in April, Judge Juan Merchan restricted Trump’s public comments about jurors, witnesses and others involved in the case after prosecutors cited past comments he made that were threatening.
“Now that the trial is over, the concerns expressed by the government and the Supreme Court do not justify continued restrictions on President Trump’s First Amendment rights,” defense lawyer Todd Branche wrote in a June 3 letter and made public Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump has asked the judge presiding over his Manhattan hush money trial to lift a gag order on the case. Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images Judge Juan Merchan limited what Trump could say to jurors, witnesses and others involved in the case. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
A Manhattan jury returned guilty verdicts last week on all 34 counts in an indictment that accused Trump of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for an alleged sexual encounter before the 2016 election.
Trump, a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, has denied having sex with Daniels and has vowed to appeal the conviction.
Trump asks judge to lift gag order banning comments on jurors, witnesses after conviction in NY ‘hush money’ case
NEW YORK — Donald Trump on Tuesday asked the judge overseeing his criminal trial on charges stemming from hush money payments to porn actresses to lift a gag order in the case for which he was convicted last week.
Before the trial began in April, Judge Juan Merchan restricted Trump’s public comments about jurors, witnesses and others involved in the case after prosecutors cited past comments he made that were threatening.
“Now that the trial is over, the concerns expressed by the government and the Supreme Court do not justify continued restrictions on President Trump’s First Amendment rights,” defense lawyer Todd Branche wrote in a June 3 letter and made public Tuesday.
A Manhattan jury returned guilty verdicts last week on all 34 counts in an indictment that accused Trump of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for an alleged sexual encounter before the 2016 election.
Trump, a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, has denied having sex with Daniels and has vowed to appeal the conviction.
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