Appeals Court maintains gag order against Trump

The New York Court of Appeals dismissed former President Donald Trump’s challenge to the gag order in the porn actress bribery case.

What you should know: The court rejected the appeal on the grounds that it did not raise “substantial constitutional questions,” thus confirming the gag order against Trump imposed by state judge Juan Merchán, who led the case.

Trump initially requested the lifting of the gag order in mid-May, prior to his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The gag order against Trump

Judge Merchán issued the gag order against Trump, prohibiting him from making public comments about the jurors, witnesses, court staff and prosecutors involved in the hush payments case.

Throughout the month and a half of the trial, Trump opposed the gag order and violated its terms on multiple occasions, leading Judge Merchan to impose a sentence on him. fined $10,000 and warned of possible jail terms in case of new breaches.

Once the trial concluded, Trump’s legal team, led by attorney Todd Blanche, requested in early June that Judge Merchán lift the gag order.

Blanche argued that The reasons for the gag order were no longer applicable since the trial had concluded. However, the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case, opposed this request.

Trump’s guilt in the hush payments case

The jury’s unanimous verdict on May 30 was historic, making Trump the first former US president convicted of a crime.

Despite the conviction, there were indications that Trump may have continued to violate the gag order.

In post-trial statements, he made comments about defense witness Robert Costello and key prosecution witness Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, although he did not name Cohen directly.

The sentencing against Trump in the case of hush payments to Stormy Daniels is scheduled for July 11.