Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg has requested a decide impose a gag order on former President Donald Trump with lower than a month to go till the hush cash felony court docket case goes to trial.
In three separate court docket filings dated Feb. 22, 2024, Bragg and his workforce requested for an order stopping Trump from making statements attacking others concerned in his authorized circumstances, sought a protecting order to ban the names and addresses of jurors from being disclosed to anybody apart from attorneys and requested proof and testimony concerning marketing campaign finance be restricted.
Prosecutors declare Trump has a historical past of verbally attacking folks concerned in his circumstances.
“Defendant has an extended historical past of constructing public and inflammatory remarks concerning the individuals in numerous judicial proceedings towards him, together with jurors, witnesses, legal professionals, and court docket workers,” prosecutors state. “These remarks, in addition to the inevitable reactions they incite from defendant’s followers and allies, pose a big and imminent menace to the orderly administration of this felony continuing and a considerable probability of inflicting materials prejudice.”
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New York District Legal professional Alvin Bragg had been investigating former President Donald Trump for alleged hush cash funds to grownup movie actress Stormy Daniels. (Shane Bevel/NCAA Pictures through Getty Photos/Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg through Getty Photos)
Jury choice for the felony trial is scheduled to start on March 25.
The DA’s workplace requested the names and addresses of these jurors who’re chosen to not be disclosed to anybody apart from counsel, citing the previous president’s conduct towards jurors in different court docket proceedings.
The DA’s workplace cites Trump’s “conduct on this and different issues – together with his in depth historical past of attacking jurors in different proceedings,” saying the conduct presents a “important threat of juror harassment and intimidation that warrants cheap protecting measures to make sure the integrity of those proceedings, reduce obstacles to jury choice, and shield juror security.”
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Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s workplace needs to impose a gag order on former President Donald Trump earlier than his hush cash case goes to trial. (Sean Rayford/Getty Photos)
Within the submitting, Bragg offered a number of examples of instances when Trump made public statements directed at two totally different Fulton County grand juries.
“Thanks to the Particular Grand Jury within the Nice State of Georgia in your Patriotism & Braveness. Whole exoneration. The USA may be very happy with you,” Trump mentioned in a single occasion. “Would somebody please inform the Fulton County Grand Jury that I didn’t tamper with the election,” he mentioned in one other.
The DA mentioned in March 2023, Trump “repeatedly directed extrajudicial statements” towards members of the grand jury utilizing social media and commented on the credibility of witnesses who testified earlier than the grand jury, because the grand jury investigation was underway.
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Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s workplace claimed Trump has an “in depth historical past of attacking jurors in different proceedings.” (Michael M. Santiago)
One different instance introduced up by the DA within the submitting was that Trump “incessantly guarantees to hunt revenge and retribution towards his perceived opponents.”
Particularly, the DA pointed to a guide printed in 2007, by which Trump wrote, “My motto is: All the time get even. When anyone screws you, screw them again in spades.”
The third movement filed seemed to restrict proof and professional testimony that may very well be offered in the course of the hush cash trial, together with marketing campaign finance, “federal prosecutors’ purported views of Michael Cohen’s credibility,” and proof that had already been rejected.
Choose Juan Manuel Merchan didn’t instantly rule on the filings, based on The Related Press.
Bragg’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Fox Information Digital.
“At present, the 2-tiered system of justice carried out towards President Trump is on full show, with the request by one other Deranged Democrat prosecutor in search of a restrictive gag order, which if granted, would impose an unconstitutional infringement on President Trump’s First Modification rights, together with his means to defend himself, and the rights of all People to listen to from President Trump,” Trump marketing campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung mentioned. “That is election interference pure and easy. This case, just like the others, is a sham orchestrated by partisan Democrats desperately making an attempt to forestall the reelection of President Trump and distract from the decrepit presidency of Crooked Joe Biden. The Radical Left will fail, and President Trump will Make America Nice Once more.”
Trump is already topic to a gag order in one other federal case, by which Washington, D.C. prices him with scheming to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election.
The order was imposed in October by the decide overseeing the case, after which upheld by a federal appeals panel two months later. Nonetheless, the court docket drew within the preliminary speech restrictions and can enable Trump to criticize the particular counsel who introduced the case towards him.
Trump was additionally beneath a restricted gag order throughout his New York civil fraud trial and fined $15,000 for violating the order twice. The gag order was imposed by Choose Arthur Engoron on Oct. 3 after the previous president posted on social media about his chief regulation clerk.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
