By Aaron Miller-
A U.S court has reinstated a gag order preventing former President Donald Trump and his legal team from making critical comments about court personnel in his ongoing civil fraud trial in New York.
The decision comes as Judge Arthur Engoron, presiding over the trial, expressed concerns over threats and disruptions in his chambers.
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The initial gag order had been issued by Judge Engoron in October after Donald Trump posted disparaging remarks about the judge’s principal law clerk during the trial’s second day. However, two weeks ago, an appellate judge had put the order on hold, citing concerns related to free speech rights.
Trump’s attorney, Christopher Kise, responded to the reinstated gag order, stating, “In a country where the First Amendment is sacrosanct, President Trump may not even comment on why he thinks he cannot get a fair trial.” Kise added that it marked “a tragic day for the rule of law” and emphasized the perceived unfairness of the process.
The former president’s legal team had previously sued Judge Engoron, calling for a mistrial due to what they described as “astonishing departures from ordinary standards of impartiality.”
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The temporary lifting of the gag order by an appeals court judge raised questions about the balance between free speech rights and the need for a fair trial.
The four-person appeals court panel, however, upheld Judge Engoron’s limited gag order on Thursday, emphasizing its intention to enforce the restrictions rigorously. The judge had already imposed a $15,000 fine on Trump for previous violations and extended the order to include his attorneys.
The ongoing trial poses a substantial threat to Trump’s real-estate empire, with allegations of inflating property values by over $2 billion to secure favorable loans. If found guilty, the Trump Organization faces $250 million in fines, and their New York real estate empire could be at risk of dissolution.
Despite the gag order, Trump has continued to closely follow the trial, appearing in person on some days and providing critical online commentary on others.
His recent posts on the Truth Social platform accused Judge Engoron and lead prosecutor Letitia James of bias, suggesting they should be impeached and removed from office.
The high-profile trial, which includes testimony from three of Trump’s adult children, is anticipated to extend into January. Additionally, Trump is facing a similar gag order in the federal case in Washington DC related to charges of meddling in the 2020 election, which is currently under appeal.
Trump has resumed his attacks on the family of the judge presiding over the civil fraud trial involving his business empire, just moments after an appellate court reinstated a gag order against him.
The New York appellate court’s decision to reimpose the gag order comes as a response to Trump’s previous disparaging comments about court personnel, prompting concerns over potential disruptions to the proceedings.
The order prohibits the former president and his legal team from making public statements about court staff involved in the case.
On Wednesday, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to launch fresh attacks on Dawn Engoron, the wife of Judge Arthur Engoron, and the judge’s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield. In a tweet, Trump referred to Dawn Engoron as a “Trump hating wife” and accused her, along with the law clerk, of orchestrating the trial as a “New York State Witch Hunt” targeting him, his family, and the Republican Party.
These comments have intensified the already contentious atmosphere surrounding the trial, which alleges civil fraud involving Trump’s real estate empire. The former president has consistently labeled the legal proceedings as biased and part of a politically motivated campaign against him.
The reinstated gag order aims to curb such public commentary on court personnel, emphasizing the need for a fair trial without external influences.
Judge Arthur Engoron had initially imposed the gag order in October after Trump’s derogatory remarks about Allison Greenfield, shared on social media during the trial’s second day.
The order had been temporarily lifted two weeks ago by an appellate judge, raising questions about the limitations on free speech rights.
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