With trial starting next month, Manhattan DA asks judge for a gag order in Trump’s hush-money case
Prosecutors in the New York hush-money criminal case asked a judge Monday to impose a silence order on the former president, citing his “long history of making public and inflammatory comments” about people involved in his lawsuits
NEW YORK — Prosecutors in the New York hush-money criminal case asked a judge Monday to impose a silence order on the former president ahead of next month’s trial, citing his “long history of making public and inflammatory comments” about people involved attended his trials.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office sought what they called a “barely tailored” silence order that would prevent Trump from making public statements or directing others to make public statements about potential witnesses and jurors, as well as statements intended to hinder or harass court personnel. the prosecution team or their families. The request excludes comments about the district attorney, Alvin Bragg.
Jury selection in the case will begin March 25. The judge, Juan Manuel Merchan, did not immediately rule. Messages seeking comment were left with Trump’s lawyers.
“Self-regulation is not a viable alternative, as the defendant’s recent history makes clear,” prosecutors wrote in court filings. Trump, they said, “has a long and perhaps singular history” of using social media, campaign speeches and other public statements to “attack individuals he views as adversaries.”
Trump is already subject to a silence order in his federal case in Washington, accusing him of plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
That order was initially imposed in October by the judge overseeing the case and was largely upheld by a federal appeals panel two months later, although the court narrowed the initial speech restrictions by allowing Trump to criticize the special counsel handling the case had initiated.
Trump was also under a limited silence order in his civil fraud trial in New York and was fined $15,000 for violating it twice. Judge Arthur Engoron imposed the silence order on October 3 after Trump made a disparaging social media post about his chief law clerk.