Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Ackerman said in his 50-plus years as a lawyer, he had never seen a gag order like the one imposed on former President Trump in this week’s hush-money scandal. .
New York State Judge Juan Marchan issued the gag order on Tuesday at the request of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“This is very unusual,” Ackerman told CNN’s Frederica Whitfield on Wednesday. “I have been practicing law for over 50 years, both as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney, and something like this has never happened.”
He added: “It’s not being done. The reason it’s not being done is because once you start disrespecting judges and disrespecting people in court, you’re putting yourself at risk. It is the judge who makes the decision,” he added.
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A judge has imposed a gag order against former President Trump in a hush money lawsuit. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Ackerman added that President Trump is “the only person who’s ever done this, and he’s done it in such an outrageous way that it actually ended up in court. Where does the First Amendment go? “Where do we need a gag order to protect the Constitution?” he added. The judicial system? ”
Trump, who is considered a likely Republican candidate, has been highly critical of judges, calling gag orders “illegal, un-American, and unconstitutional,” and calling Marchan “a right to the First Amendment, which opposes weaponization.” They are trying to unfairly deprive me of my rights.” of law enforcement. ”
President Trump even suggested that the gag order was related to Marchan’s adult daughter’s work as president of a political consulting firm.
President Trump called the gag order “unlawful.”
“Judge Juan Machan (whose daughter is Crooked Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Adam Shifty Schiff, and other representatives of radical liberals), suffering from an acute case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, is in prison. I just posted a photo of me, now another illegal as they continue to try to strip me of my rights (to achieve their goal and make it completely impossible for me to get a fair trial). issued an un-American and unconstitutional ‘order’,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Manhattan Da Bragg asks judge to impose gag order on President Trump during hush money case
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg requested a gag order. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
In issuing the gag order, the judge cited President Trump’s “previous extrajudicial statements,” saying they established “sufficient risk to the administration of justice.”
Mr. Marchan said President Trump made public statements or directed others about potential participants, including witnesses, attorneys in cases other than Mr. Bragg, court officials, DA’s office employees, and family members of those employees. I ordered that I could not do that.
Marchand also ordered Trump not to make public statements or direct others about potential jurors or selected jurors.
Marchand said in his ruling that Trump has made statements during other trials in the past, most likely stemming from the case with New York Attorney General Letitia James. He said he was referring to the civil fraud trial.
“Indeed, his statements were threatening, inflammatory, and defamatory, and the targets of his statements were local officials, federal employees, court employees, prosecutors and case staff, and others fulfilling their duties as citizens. It extended to civilians, including grand jurors,” Marchand wrote. “The effects of these statements include not only instilling fear in targeted individuals, but also the allocation of more security resources to investigate threats and protect individuals and their families. Ta.”
Ackerman then added that regarding X, “Mr. Trump’s unprecedented pattern of contempt and intimidation of judges, prosecutors, and witnesses is self-defeating and ultimately more likely to lead to condemnation.” .
Matt Whitaker, a former acting US attorney general who served in the Trump administration, told Fox News: “I think these gag orders are extremely dangerous…The First Amendment protects our right to express our views and opinions. “I think ultimately that’s pretty broad in terms of protection.” This judge will be very careful in his decision. ”
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Trump has issued two other gag orders in recent months.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
