An appeals court reimposed a targeted gag order on Donald J. Trump in a judicial slugfest, banning him from insulting judges engaged in his civil fraud trial in New York.
This reissued order follows two previous breaches by the former president, resulting in fines totaling $15,000.
The initial gag order, instituted by trial judge Arthur F. Engoron in early October, stemmed from Trump’s social media attack on the judge’s law clerk, Allison Greenfield. Trump labeled her Schumer’s girlfriend, linking her to Senator Chuck Schumer, and insinuated her involvement in orchestrating the case against him.
Despite the directive aimed at curbing attacks on Greenfield, Trump’s legal team continued to voice concerns about her purported bias and prominence in the proceedings.
Consequently, Justice Engoron expanded the gag order, also prohibiting Trump’s lawyers from commenting on their interactions with Greenfield during the trial initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
However, an appeal led to another judge, David Friedman, lifting both gag orders, granting Trump the liberty to publicly criticize Greenfield.
Trump’s Social Media Attacks
Trump took advantage of this freedom, frequently using social media to cast aspersions on her, branding her as partisan and, most recently, labeling her as “disturbed and angry.”
Subsequently, a panel of appeals court judges reinstated the orders, affirming the restrictions in a written decree. Shortly thereafter, Justice Engoron conveyed this decision to Trump’s legal team during an open court session.
The trial, commencing in October and predicted to conclude mid-next month, involves allegations by Letitia James accusing Trump of inflating his net worth for favorable treatment from financial institutions and insurers.
Pretrial rulings have already identified fraudulent content in Trump’s annual financial statements. The trial’s primary focus lies in determining the consequences Trump will face, potentially including a hefty fine exceeding $250 million.
Although Trump has testified once, he is slated for a return to court next month as the defense wraps up its case.
The trial will then pause until January when both sides will present written briefs and oral arguments before Justice Engoron delivers a verdict a few weeks later.
or a specific category with our 
Comments are closed.