In a setback for former President Donald Trump, a New York appeals court has reconfirmed a gag order prohibiting him and his lawyers from attacking court staff during his financial fraud case.
Trump had requested to lift the limited gag orders imposed by Judge Arthur Engoronbut this Thursday the First Department of the New York Appellate Division rejected the request, arguing that the former president’s lawyers used the wrong legal mechanism to fight the restriction.
“To the extent there have been appealable issues with respect to any of the procedures the court implemented in imposing the financial sanctions, The proper method of review would be to vacate contempt orders. and then file an appeal with the court denying those motions,” the ruling said.
Instead, in November Trump’s lawyers had made the request to lift the gag order, citing a provision of New York state law to sue Judge Engoron personally.
The court also determined that the “extraordinary remedy” sought by Trump’s lawyers did not match the minimal potential harm of banning statements about Engoron personnel, according to reported ABC News.
“Inundated” with threats
“Here, the severity of the potential harm is small, given that the gag order is narrow and limited to prohibiting only statements about court personnel“said the decision of the New York court.
It must be remembered that former President Trump called one of the judge’s secretaries, falsely calling her the “girlfriend” of the Democratic senator from New York, Chuck Schumer. Days later, on October 3, the judge imposed the silence order, fining the former president $15,000 for failing to comply with it.
Appeals court Judge David Friedman stayed the gag order on Nov. 16, citing “constitutional and statutory” concerns. However, a four-judge panel reinstated it on November 30.
In his new decision, Engoron said his staff has been “inundated” with threats following Trump’s comments.
“My paralegals are public servants who are performing their jobs in the manner I ask them to do,” he wrote in the order. “This includes providing legal authority and opinions, as well as answering questions I put to them. Clearly, advocates do not have the right to confidential communications between me and my judicial staff.”.
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2023-12-14 19:35:30
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