CNN
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The judge overseeing Donald Trump's hush-money criminal trial extended a recently imposed gag order to members of the courtroom and the Manhattan district attorney's family, according to a ruling late Monday.
This comes after President Trump has leveled comments about the judge's daughter in recent days.
Earlier on Monday, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office asked a judge to expand a gag order meant to prevent the former president from attacking the families of those involved.
“The court prohibits the defendant from making public statements or directing others to make public statements about the court’s family, the district attorney, and all other individuals mentioned in the order. It should be immediately made clear that the on monday.
Last week, shortly after Marchand issued a gag order barring Trump from making statements about witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court officials, or family members of prosecutors or court officials, Trump posted a series of posts on his social media platforms. Started posting. The gag order did not apply to District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the judge, or his family.
President Trump said Marchand was “compromising” and singled out the daughter of a judge who works at a political consulting firm. Trump then cited a post about X from an account he said belonged to his daughter. A court spokeswoman said the judge's daughter deactivated her account two years ago and that her posts did not originate from her.
Trump defended himself, saying he had a First Amendment right to participate in campaign speeches.
“The defendant knows what he is doing, and others know. “We all know exactly what the defendant intends, as he has said that it is part of his philosophy of life to “hunt down” people,” prosecutors wrote.
“However, the suggestion that defendant was merely making a political opposition speech is a clear fabrication and should be emphatically rejected by this court,” prosecutors wrote. “None of Defendant's attacks over the past week were aimed at defending his campaign. Rather, Defendant maliciously and maliciously attacked the Court and the court for no other reason than that the Court is presiding over this criminal trial. He defamed his family.”
Trump's lawyers have opposed expanding the gag order, saying it has already gone too far, and last week signaled they might appeal the ban Marchand issued.
“The court should deny the public's request to expand the gag order. ,” Trump's lawyers said in an opposition filing Monday.
Mr. Trump's lawyers say the current gag order does not apply to judges or Mr. Bragg's family, and reports that family members like Mr. Marchan's daughter are suitable for public criticism of Mr. Trump are interpreted similarly. It was pointed out that
“Thus, because the gag order does not expressly apply to the courts or the district attorney's family, and because the challenged social media posts were not intended to significantly interfere with these proceedings, President Trump A warning of “no violation of the Ordinance and no disrespect” would be appropriate. ”
Trump's lawyers also allowed them to file a motion to dismiss to remove the judge from the case “based on changed circumstances and newly discovered evidence,” just two weeks before the trial begins. Mr. Machan was requested to do so.
Mr. Marchand denied a similar veto motion from Mr. Trump last year.
This article and heading have been updated with additional developments.
