Ladies and gentlemen, let’s talk about the latest twist in the legal saga surrounding former President Trump. This week, Judge Juan Merchan made a significant move by partially lifting the gag order he had placed on Trump during his trial. Here’s the lowdown on what’s happening and why it matters.
Judge Merchan initially imposed the gag order to protect the integrity of the trial, barring Trump from making public statements about witnesses, counsel, court staff, and their families. However, after the jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, Merchan decided to reassess the situation.
Trump and his legal team have been actively fighting this gag order, especially aiming to lift it before the June 27 presidential debate. Their argument? The gag order infringes on Trump’s First Amendment rights. Well, this week, they saw a partial victory.
Judge Merchan announced that since the trial has concluded, Trump is now free to talk about protected witnesses and jurors. However, Trump is still prohibited from commenting about individual prosecutors, court staff, or their family members until his sentencing on July 11.
In his order, Merchan emphasized that the gag order was essential during the trial to maintain the judicial process’s integrity. But now, with the trial over, he recognized the need to adjust the restrictions. The full gag order will end after Trump’s sentencing.
Interestingly, this development comes shortly after the New York Court of Appeals rejected Trump’s attempt to lift the gag order, stating that there was no substantial constitutional issue at stake. Despite this, Merchan’s partial lifting reflects a shift in the legal landscape now that the trial phase is over.
Judge Merchan partially lifts President Trump’s gag order – President Trump still can’t speak about the crooked judge his crooked daughter, and the crooked DAs, but we can! pic.twitter.com/1WX55R3Eyv
— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) June 25, 2024
Reacting to the order, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, criticized the decision, calling it unconstitutional and accusing the judge of being biased. Cheung emphasized that this move still restricts Trump during a crucial period leading up to the presidential debate.
“This is another unlawful decision by a highly conflicted judge, which is blatantly un-American as it gags President Trump, the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election, during the upcoming Presidential Debate on Thursday. President Trump and his legal team will immediately challenge today’s unconstitutional order,” Cheung stated.
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he is expected to be formally nominated as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. This timing adds another layer of drama to an already tumultuous political landscape.
𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀:
Under pressure, Judge Merchan, on the Manhattan case has ‘partially’ lifted his gag order against Donald Trump, until sentencing on July 11th.
Professor Jonathan Turley explains: pic.twitter.com/aAQoiBzaCa— Marla Hohner (@marlahohner) June 25, 2024
