Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan has issued a gag order banning former President Donald Trump from disparaging witnesses, prosecutors, jurors, and court staff in his hush money case, which is set to go to trial on April 15. This order comes after Trump attacked Merchan, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and others associated with the case. The gag order prohibits Trump from making public statements that may interfere with the work of counsel and staff in the criminal case.
In his ruling, Merchan described Trump’s statements as threatening, inflammatory, and denigrating, targeting various individuals including local and federal officials, court staff, prosecutors, and private citizens like grand jurors. Trump’s attacks on Merchan, Bragg, Merchan’s daughter, and the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Cohen, were made in a series of posts on the social media platform Truth Social. Merchan did not specifically reference Trump’s latest social media attack on Tuesday but highlighted the need for the gag order based on Trump’s past statements.
The trial date for the case has been set for April 15, with Trump facing 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up reimbursements to Cohen for a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and jury selection is scheduled to begin on March 25. Trump has consistently attacked prosecutors and judges involved in his legal cases, portraying them as politically motivated to help President Biden win re-election.
Trump has called for Merchan to recuse himself from the case, accusing him of bias and suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” He has also pushed for the case to be moved to Staten Island, the only New York City borough that voted for Trump in both elections. Trump has criticized Merchan’s daughter’s previous work with a Democratic consulting firm that has ties to President Biden. In another case overseen by Judge Arthur Engoron, who recently imposed a gag order after Trump disparaged Engoron’s law clerk, Trump’s lawyers argued against the gag order but did not object to withholding jurors’ names from the public.
Despite Trump’s pushback against the gag order, Merchan has enforced it to prevent any further interference with the proceedings of the case. The issue of potential bias and political motivation surrounding Trump’s legal battles continues to be a focal point of his campaign for the 2024 presidential election. As the trial date approaches, Trump’s efforts to defend himself against the charges of falsifying business records in the hush money case will be closely monitored.
