Judge Slaps Gag Order On Donald Trump Restricting Comments About New York Criminal Case

Ted Johnson

March 26, 2024 at 3:16 p.m.·1 min read

The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s upcoming New York criminal trial has imposed a gag order on what the former president can say about potential witnesses, attorneys and court staffers in the case, as well as potential jurors.

Judge Juan Merchan wrote that he was “unpersuaded” by Trump’s attorneys arguments against the gag order.

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Merchan wrote that, given the pending start of the trial, “it is without question that the imminent risk of harm is now paramount.” He wrote that Trump’s statements “establishes a sufficient risk to the administration of justice.”

The gag order bars Trump from making or directing others to make statements about known or “reasonable foreseeable witnesses” in the case, as well as counsel in the case, members of the court or attorneys’ staffs, or their family members. It also applies to jurors or prospective jurors. The exception to the order if District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who Trump has repeatedly attacked and claimed that the case was politically motivated.

Trump has attacked one of the expected witnesses, Michael Cohen, his former attorney, including in a post earlier today, writing that he was “death.”

Read the Trump gag order.

Earlier today, the former president wrote on Truth Social, “Judge Juan Merchan, a very distinguished looking man, is nevertheless a true and certified Trump Hater who suffers from a very serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. In other words, he hates me!” He went on to attack Merchan’s daugther.

On Monday, Merchan set April 15 as the start date for the trial, in which Trump faces charges related to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

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