#GagOrder Against #Trump Is Expanded to Stop Attacks on Judge’s Family
Donald Trump had in recent days targeted the daughter of Juan #Merchan, the judge overseeing his #criminal trial in Manhattan, in blistering social media posts.
In the expanded order, Justice #Merchan recognized #Trump's "constitutional right to speak to the American voters freely, & to defend himself publicly," & clarified that the initial #GagOrder did not include members of his or #AlvinBragg's family, but wrote Trump’s attacks on family members serve no purpose but to inject fear.
#Merchan points out that courts are typically concerned about #1A defendants’ rights, but that the “conventional 'David vs. Goliath' roles" are inverted here, & #Trump's statements pose a very real #threat to the judicial proceedings’ integrity.
“Defendant, in his opposition of April 1, 2024, desperately attempts to justify & explain away his #dangerous rhetoric by ‘turning the tables’ & blaming those he attacks typical of Trump to [#BlameTheVictim]. The arguments counsel makes are at best strained & at worst baseless misrepresentations which are uncorroborated & rely upon innuendo & exaggeration.
#Merchan cont: “Put mildly, the assortment of allegations presented as ‘facts’ & cobbled together, result in accusations that are disingenuous & not rational. To argue that the most recent attacks, which included photographs, were ‘necessary & appropriate in the current environment,’ is farcical.”
“The People argue in their submission that Defendant's attacks, which include referring to a prosecution #witness last week as ‘death’, are based on ‘transparent falsehoods.’ …The People provide a plethora of compelling arguments in support of their claim that Defendant's conduct is deliberate & intended to #intimidate this Court & impede the orderly administration of this trial.”
"There is no #constitutional right to target the family of this Court, let alone on the blatant falsehoods that have served as the flimsiest pretexts [...] Defendant knows what he is doing, & everyone else does too."
"Defendant's claim of a constitutional right to levy personal attacks on family members is as disturbing as it is wrong."
#Trump attys argued that it was okay to attack Justice #Merchan's daughter bc she's allegedly engaged in "adversarial campaign speech" by his political opponents.
#Trump urges the Court to reject the DA #Bragg’s "invitations to expand the #GagOrder, which is already an unlawful prior restraint that improperly restricts [Trump's] campaign advocacy."
The filing also seems to accuse Judge #Merchan of impropriety once again. During last week's hearing, Trump atty Todd Blanche suggested that Merchan was complicit in the DA's prosecutorial misconduct re: discovery obligations, Merchan was pissed off.
A footnote to the accusation references this AP story, in which Judge #Merchan refused to talk about the specifics of the case, only that preparing for it has been "intense" & that his court wants to "follow the law" & "justice to be done."
The 20-second video, which #Trump indicated was taken Thursday in Long Island, New York, shows a truck emblazoned with "Trump 2024" and a large picture depicting Biden tied up and lying on his side.
Trump was in Long Island Thursday for the wake of fallen NYPD officer Jonathan Diller.
Exonerated 'Central Park 5' member, Yusef Salaam, reads letter sent to him after Trump's infamous 1989 ad >>>
The letter advocates for Yusef's punishment "for what he did to that girl" and accuses his mom of raising an animal, telling her that Yusef doesn't deserve to live.
"It was a whisper into the darkest enclaves of our society, to do to us what was done to #EmmettTill."
#Trump files challenge to the Manhattan trial #GagOrder & in the filing Trump’s attorneys actually attack Judge #Merchan’s daughter & say Trump’s attacks on her & on the judge are justified.
“…if the Court wishes to consider such an expansion, a complete opportunity for full adversarial briefing is necessary. Such briefing would address, inter alia, the constitutional problems attendant w/any additional improper restrictions on protected campaign speech …where the family member referenced in the pre-motion letter is actively supporting adversarial campaign speech by President Trump’s political opponents.”
#Republican-appointed judges raise alarm over #Trump attacks on #law
Federal DC Judge #ReggieWalton warned Trump’s attacks on #HushMoney trial judge & others could lead to #violence.
The Republican-appointed judge denounced Trump’s attacks against the judge presiding over his hush money trial in Manhattan & his daughter, calling them assaults on the #RuleOfLaw that could lead to violence & #tyranny.
“When judges are threatened, & particularly when their family is threatened, it’s something that’s wrong & should not happen,” US Dist Judge #ReggieWalton, told CNN in an interview Thurs. He added, “It is very troubling because I think it is an attack on the rule of law.”
Judge #ReggieWalton’s remarks came as several federal judges in DC appointed by #Republican presidents have spoken w/increasing urgency about #Trump’s disregard for historical #facts & alarmed at his increasingly #graphic & at times #violent description of defendants prosecuted in the #Jan6 riot as “political prisoners” & “hostages” who did nothing wrong.
#Trump Can't Stop Attacking Judge's Daughter
[who does that?]
Trump took to his social media platform Thurs to criticize NY Judge Juan #Merchan & his daughter AGAIN even after a #GagOrder was issued.
Merchan is presiding over Trump's Manhattan case involving alleged #HushMoney payments to adult film star actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign [to hide the info from the electorate]. …The case is set to go to trial April 15, 2024.
Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg told Newsweek on Thurs, "It is as if #Trump is daring the Judge to sanction him so Trump can achieve greater martyrdom w/ his rabid supporters. Another possibility is that Trump wants a war w/ Judge #Merchan, which could lead to more attempts at recusal/disqualification & therefore more delays. It won't work."
The NY judge presiding over one (bc there’s >1) of Trump’s #criminal trials imposed a gag order on Tues that prohibits him from attacking #witnesses, #prosecutors & #jurors, the latest effort to rein in Trump’s wrathful rhetoric.
Both comments would now arguably violate the #GagOrder. In another post, #Trump took aim at Justice #Merchan & his family, claiming that the judge “hates me,” though those comments do not appear to cross the line the judge has now set.
The order, along w/ Justice Merchan’s recent order protecting the identities of potential #jurors in the case, reflects the … angry & chaotic atmosphere … around Trump’s trials.
…After #AlvinBragg filed the case last year, Justice #Merchan initially stopped short of adopting a #GagOrder, while instructing Trump to refrain from making statements “likely to incite #violence or civil unrest.” But since then, #Trump has continued to attack witnesses & prosecutors, prompting Bragg to seek a more formal order.