Aren’t they all ‘gag’ orders, as Trump cronies manipulate media to influence government as Hannity’s staff harasses GOP House members to affect the vote on Gym Jordan. His rallies will still feature shtick, because Mister Accordion Hands will continue his pathetic insult ‘comedy’. Link to written order will follow.
The judge did not immediately address how she will enforce her gag order. She merely said she would assess any consequences for Mr. Trump if and when he violates it.
Judge Chutkan imposed the gag order at the end of a two-hour hearing in Federal District Court in Washington in what became one of the most contentious public proceedings so far in any of the criminal cases Mr. Trump is facing.
Gag orders limiting what trial participants can say outside of court are not uncommon. But Mr. Trump’s status as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, and his decision to portray the gag order request as part of an effort by the Biden administration to stifle a political rival, made this request by prosecutors especially complex.
In issuing a nuanced, limited order, Judge Chutkan appeared to be trying to thread the needle on balancing Mr. Trump’s rights to political speech as a candidate for the country’s highest office and her own duties to protect the integrity of the proceedings in front of her.
-
Some of the former president’s more outrageous statements seem to have had real-world consequences. Here are the sorts of comments prosecutors hoped to block.
-
Mr. Trump was placed under a very limited gag order early this month by the New York State judge overseeing his civil trial in Manhattan, where he is accused of inflating the value of his properties. That order restricts Mr. Trump from speaking about any people who work on the judge’s staff. The order Judge Chutkan is considering could be significantly broader.
www.nytimes.com/...
The order restricts Trump’s ability to publicly target court personnel, potential witnesses, or the special counsel and his staff. The order did not impose restrictions on disparaging comments about Washington, DC, – where the jury will take place – or certain comments about the Justice Department at large, both of which the government requested.
“This is not about whether I like the language Mr. Trump uses,” Judge Tanya Chutkan said. “This is about language that presents a danger to the administration of justice.”
“His presidential candidacy does not give him carte blanche to vilify public servants who are simply doing their jobs,” the judge added.
Chutkan noted that any violation of her orders could result in sanctions.
Following the two federal indictments against the former president, Trump has lashed out against prosecutors, potential witnesses and the judge overseeing the election subversion case in Washington. Prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smith’s office say these comments are enough to warrant a narrow restriction on Trump’s speech around the case.
Chutkan, often the target of Trump’s attacks, warned the former president that comments he or his attorneys make could threaten the case.
“Mr. Trump is a criminal defendant. He is facing four felony charges. He is under the supervision of the criminal justice system and he must follow his conditions of release,” Chutkan said Monday during the hearing.
“He does not have the right to say and do exactly what he pleases. Do you agree with that?” she asked Trump attorney John Lauro, who responded: “100%.”
www.cnn.com/...