Prosecutors in former President Trump’s case in New York on Thursday asked a judge to keep his gag order in place until Trump’s sentencing in July.
The move comes nearly a month after a Manhattan jury convicted the former president of 34 counts of falsifying business records at his secret trial in New York. The verdict made Trump the first former president in US history to be convicted of serious crimes.
Judge Juan Merchan imposed the initial gag order in late March to prevent the former president from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors and others involved in the trial. Trump argued that the order violates his First Amendment rights.
Citing more than 50 threats made against officials linked to the case, prosecutors argued in Thursday’s filing that the judge should not rule in favor of Trump’s motion to lift the gag order.
Prosecutors argued that the gag order should remain in effect for jurors, prosecutors and court staff, saying prosecutors and court staff are still involved in Trump’s sentencing and should continue to be protected.
They also argued in the jurors’ case that the court has a long precedent of maintaining gag orders to protect jurors even after the trial has concluded.
Prosecutors also pointed to two previous instances during the case when Trump criticized “the jury as an institution,” which is still permitted under the gag order, the former president drew public attention to the jurors and caused them to fear for your safety and that of your loved ones.
“Although these statements did not refer to the jurors individually or by name, this Court correctly concluded that the statements violated the juror disposition because they directed public attention to the jurors and ‘raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and their loved ones. darlings.'”
Prosecutors conceded that it would be appropriate to lift the gag order for witnesses in the case. Part of Trump’s argument in filing the motion to dismiss was based on allegations that the state’s key witnesses, Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, were publicly attacking Trump after the conviction.
They also pointed to “categorically false accusations” that Trump and his lawyer made to argue that the gag order should be maintained, specifically mentioning Trump’s claim that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) is working with the president Biden and his claim that the prosecutor’s office is trying to delay prosecution until after the presidential debate.
“These known lies are just the latest examples of the defendant’s patent disregard for the rule of law and the impartial administration of justice,” prosecutors wrote.
The request comes after New York’s high court on Tuesday rejected Trump’s appeal to overturn the gag order, saying “no substantial constitutional questions” were raised by the appeal.
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11 — just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention, where he will officially become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
