Update…
The federal judge overseeing the 2020 election subversion case against Donald Trump in Washington imposed a narrow gag order on him on Monday, barring the Republican former president from making statements targeting prosecutors, possible witnesses and the judge’s staff.
The order from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is a milestone moment in the federal case that accuses Trump of illegally conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden…..
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Donald Trump likes to attack anyone and anything that ain’t helping him getting what HE wants….
That includes Republicans, prosocutors, court people and judges….
One judge in New York HAS dropped a limit against Trump messing with court staff….
The Federal judge in the Jan. 6 case, District Judge Tanya Chutkan, is haering arguments on gaging Trump in her presiding case also…
Prosecutors say Trump’s attacks against potential witnesses – including former Vice President Mike Pence and former Attorney General Bill Barr – could result in witness intimidation by his followers.
“The defendant’s relentless public posts marshaling anger and mistrust in the justice system, the Court, and prosecutors have already influenced the public,” prosecutors wrote in a filing last month. “For instance, on August 5, 2023, an individual was arrested because she called the Court’s chambers and made racist death threats to the Court that were tied to the Court’s role in presiding over the defendant’s case.”
They told the judge Monday their goal is not to stop Trump from campaigning.
“We have no interest in stopping the defendant from running for office or defending his reputation, nor does our proposed order do that,” said prosecutor Molly Gaston.
“This is about the participants, the witnesses, in this trial,” Gaston added. “It is limited to those individuals and it is limited to statements that are intended to influence the venue or potential jurors.”
Chutkan previously warned Trump
When he first appeared in Chutkan’s courtroom in late August on charges that he unlawfully worked to overthrow the 2020 election results, the judge warned Trump against making “inflammatory” comments in the case.
“Legal trials are not like elections, to be won through the use of meeting halls, the radio and newspaper,” Chutkan said at the time, later adding: “I will take whatever measures are necessary to safeguard the integrity of these proceedings.”
Any restrictions on Trump’s speech, regardless of how narrow, would likely be brought up in appeals in the case along with defense attorney’s claims that the federal cases against Trump are being rushed in order to secure a conviction against him before the election.
Limited gag order issued in NY fraud trial
If Chutkan does decide to place restrictions on what the former president can say, she won’t be the first judge to do so.
In early October, the judge overseeing the ongoing New York civil fraud trial against Trump issued a gag order against the former president after he attacked a member of the court’s staff.
“Consider this statement an order forbidding all parties from posting, emailing or speaking publicly about any members of my staff,” Judge Arthur Engoron said after Trump accused his clerk of being Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s girlfriend and calling for her to be dismissed on a social media post.
“Failure to abide by this … will result in serious sanctions,” Engoron said….