In a legal saga that continues to unfold, Donald Trump has lodged an appeal against a gag order that restrains the former U.S. president from discussing court personnel publicly amidst his New York civil fraud trial. The appeal has now elevated to the highest echelons of the state’s judicial hierarchy.
The gag order, imposed by Justice Arthur Engoron on October 3, was a response to Trump’s social media post. The post featured a snapshot of the judge’s law clerk alongside U.S. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, with Trump falsely asserting a romantic connection between them. The fallout from this misinformation was profound, with the court inundated by a barrage of threats from fervent Trump supporters, as disclosed by Justice Engoron.
Despite Trump’s initial appeal, contending that the gag order encroached upon his constitutional right to free speech, the Appellate Division, a mid-level appeals court, upheld the order on Thursday. Undeterred, Trump’s legal team promptly filed another appeal on Friday, directing their efforts toward the Court of Appeals based in Albany. This higher court holds the authority to adjudicate matters of law within the state.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the intricacies of this case delve into the intersection of free speech rights and the judiciary’s prerogative to maintain order and decorum within the courtroom.
Reported by Luc Cohen in New York; edited by Jonathan Oatis
