District attorney says gag order in Trump trial must cover judge’s family | Wilnesh News

The Manhattan district attorney said Monday that Donald Trump’s “extreme and deliberate provocations” in his hush-money trial were designed to undermine the case, as he urged a judge to tighten a gag order against the former president.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a blistering filing in New York Supreme Court that Trump’s “dangerous, violent and reprehensible rhetoric fundamentally threatens the integrity of these proceedings and is designed to intimidate.” witnesses and trial participants, including this Court”.

Bragg’s request comes after Trump targeted Judge Juan Merchant’s adult daughter for her work at a Democratic political firm in numerous social media posts. Bragg’s indictment accuses Trump of falsifying business records to conceal hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

“There is no constitutional right to target the families of this court, let alone use blatant lies as the most flimsy excuse for a defendant’s attacks,” Bragg’s filing states.

The district attorney wrote that Trump “knew what he was doing, and so did everyone else.”

Murchin issued a gag order last week that prevents Trump from talking about potential witnesses and other figures, but does not explicitly prohibit criticism of the judge or his family.

Bragg’s office on Thursday asked the judge to “clarify or confirm” the order protecting the court’s families.

Monday’s filing raises the stakes: Bragg wants Murchin to “clarify or extend the order to protect court family members” and warned Trump that “any future disregard for the order will result in sanctions.”

Trump’s attorneys responded late Monday that the gag order does not apply to Mo Qian’s family and that the restrictions should not be expanded because it “is already an unlawful prior restraint that inappropriately limits the presumptive Republican nominee’s campaign.” publicity”.

Their filing also states they will try again to remove Merchant from the case, citing “changes in circumstances and newly discovered evidence.”

Their first attempt last May targeted Murchin’s daughter’s role in Authentic Campaigns, a progressive consultant whose clients include Trump’s Democratic rival, President Joe Biden.merchant reject Avoid yourself.

Trump’s filing on Monday also suggested that Merchin’s recent interview with The Associated Press “violated Canon 3,” although the judge declined to talk about the case. Canon 3 Judges are cautioned to minimize the risk of conflict between personal life and judicial obligations.

Trump’s lawyers also said there was a problem with the New York Office of Court Administration’s statement on Wednesday clarifying that the social media account no longer belonged to Murchin’s daughter.

But the office issued the statement after Trump sent multiple social media posts claiming the account now belonged to Merchant’s daughter and showed evidence of bias.

The hush money trial is scheduled to begin jury selection on April 15. Trump’s lawyers, who had previously sought to dismiss the indictment or delay the trial, are now seeking a “significant” delay, citing “bias” in media coverage of the trial.