Current:Home > MyNY prosecutors urge judge to keep gag order blocking Trump from criticizing jurors who convicted him -Finovate
NY prosecutors urge judge to keep gag order blocking Trump from criticizing jurors who convicted him
View
Date:2025-04-26 07:00:19
NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors on Friday urged the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case to uphold provisions of a gag order that bar him from criticizing jurors and court staff, while agreeing to lift a restriction on his public statements about trial witnesses.
In court papers filed Friday, prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office argued that portions of the gag order remained necessary given the Republican former president’s “singular history of inflammatory and threatening public statements,” as well as efforts by his supporters to “identify jurors and threaten violence against him.”
“Since the verdict in this case, defendant has not exempted the jurors from his alarming rhetoric that he would have ‘every right’ to seek retribution as president against the participants in this trial as a consequence of his conviction because ’sometimes revenge can be justified,” the filing states.
The gag order, issued in March, prohibited Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about witnesses, jurors and others connected to the case. It does not restrict comments about the judge, Juan M. Merchan, or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office prosecuted the case.
Attorneys for Trump have called on the judge to lift the order following the culmination of his trial last month, which ended in his conviction on 34 felony counts for falsifying records to cover up a potential sex scandal. Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, is set to be sentenced on July 11.
Defense attorneys argue Trump should be free to fully address the case as he campaigns for the White House, pointing to comments made by President Joe Biden and the continued public criticism of him by his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen and the porn actor Stormy Daniels, both key prosecution witnesses.
“Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights” of Trump, they wrote earlier this month.
In their letter, prosecutors agreed that the provision barring statements about trial witnesses no longer needed to be enforced but said the restrictions on statements about court staff and members of the prosecution, excluding Bragg, should remain in place.
They cited an “intensified” threat situation in recent months, with more than 60 “actionable threats” directed against Bragg, his family and court staff since April. The threats include social media posts disclosing the address of an employee of the district attorney’s office and a photo showing sniper sights aimed on people involved in the case, according to police.
Merchan is expected to issue a ruling soon, possibly before Trump’s June 27 debate with President Joe Biden.
Earlier this week, New York’s top court declined to hear Trump’s appeal on the gag order, finding it does not raise “substantial” constitutional issues that would warrant an immediate intervention.
veryGood! (2164)
Related
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Lobbyist gets 2 years in prison for Michigan marijuana bribery scheme
- Former San Diego detective, 3 women sentenced to prison for operating sex parlors
- Jussie Smollett Gets Rehab Treatment Amid Appeal in Fake Hate Crime Case
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Erik Larson’s next book closely tracks the months leading up to the Civil War
- Activists turn backs on US officials as UN-backed human rights review of United States wraps up
- Bella Hadid Packs on the PDA With Cowboy Adan Banuelos After Marc Kalman Breakup
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Joran van der Sloot confesses to 2005 murder of Natalee Holloway in Aruba: Court records
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Coastal county and groups sue to overturn federal approval of New Jersey’s 1st offshore wind farm
- A bloody hate crime draws rabbis, Muslims together in mourning for slain 6-year-old boy
- She helped Florida kids with trauma. Now she's trapped in 'unimaginable' Gaza war zone.
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Russian-American journalist charged in Russia with failing to register as a foreign agent
- Former official accused in Las Vegas journalist killing hires lawyer, gets trial date pushed back
- Alex Rodriguez Shares Hot Take on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Romance
Recommendation
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Charity Lawson Reveals How Fiancé Dotun Olubeko Is Supporting Her DWTS Journey
Cruise ship explosion in Maine burns employee, prompts passenger evacuations
Joran van der Sloot’s confession in Natalee Holloway case provides long-sought answers, mother says
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
South Texas police officer was fatally shot during a pursuit of 2 men, police say
Warrant: Drug task force suspected couple of selling meth before raid that left 5 officers injured
Far-right influencer sentenced to 7 months in 2016 voter suppression scheme