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Former President Donald Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg
CNN
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Manhattan prosecutors are asking the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal case involving hush money payments to impose a gag order to stop the former president from publicly disparaging potential witnesses and others involved in the trial.
Trump’s comments have already resulted in hundreds of threats to the office, prosecutors said in a motion Monday.
“Defendant has a long history of making public and inflammatory remarks about the participants in various judicial proceedings against him, including jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and court staff,” the Manhattan district attorney’s office wrote. “Those remarks, as well as the inevitable reactions they incite from defendant’s followers and allies, pose a significant and imminent threat to the orderly administration of this criminal proceeding and a substantial likelihood of causing material prejudice.”
Prosecutors are not asking the judge to block Trump from speaking about District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
They are seeking state Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan to gag Trump from making comments about potential witnesses, lawyers involved in the case other than the DA, court staff, and family members of lawyers and staff. In addition, prosecutors also asked the judge to prevent Trump from making public statements about any prospective juror in the trial.
“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently upheld restrictions on defendant’s extrajudicial speech that are essentially identical to the ones requested by the People here. This Court should accordingly grant the narrowly tailored protective measures sought here,” Bragg’s office wrote.
Trump is accused in 34-count indictment of falsifying business records as part of a cover up to conceal hush money payments before the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who alleged she had an affair with Trump.
Trump denies the affair and has pleaded not guilty. Jury selection is set to begin on March 25.
The motion is one of several filed publicly on Monday. Prosecutors also asked the judge to restrict Trump from knowing the addresses of jurors. They are not asking for an anonymous jury.
“Defendant’s conduct in this and other matters – including his extensive history of attacking jurors in other proceedings – presents a significant risk of juror harassment and intimidation that warrants reasonable protective measures to ensure the integrity of these proceedings, minimize obstacles to jury selection, and protect juror safety,” prosecutor wrote in the motion.
“This Court should also put defendant on notice that he will forfeit any statutory right he may have to access juror names if he engages in any conduct that threatens the safety and integrity of the jury or the jury-selection process.
This story has been updated with additional details.
