Two days after former President Donald Trump took to social media to target the daughter of the judge presiding over his New York hush money case, lawyers representing the Manhattan district attorney have reached out to Judge Juan Merchan. In a letter to the judge, they have requested clarification regarding the restrictions of the case’s gag order and have asked for a directive to be issued, demanding that the defendant immediately cease his attacks on family members.
In a letter sent to the judge on Thursday, it was emphasized that the March 26 Order provides protection to the family members of the Court, the District Attorney, and all other individuals mentioned in the Order.
On Tuesday, Judge Merchan issued a limited gag order that bars Trump from discussing potential witnesses, jurors, lawyers, court staff, and their families. However, the order still allows Trump to make public comments about Judge Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
On the next day, Trump expressed his strong opposition to the gag order imposed on his social media platform and voiced his dissatisfaction with Merchan’s daughter for a social media post that, according to a court official, was not actually made by her.
In a recent statement, Donald Trump expressed his frustration regarding the unequal treatment he feels he has been subjected to. He highlighted the fact that while the Judge’s daughter can freely post pictures expressing her desire to see him in jail, the Manhattan D.A. can make false statements about him without consequence. Trump also pointed out that the Judge has repeatedly violated the laws and constitution, yet he is not allowed to speak out about the attacks he has faced.
According to court officials, the alleged post attributed to the judge’s daughter was actually a manipulation of an account she had stopped using a long time ago.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass has requested Merchan to provide clarification regarding the gag order, following President Trump’s mention of Merchan’s daughter in a letter sent on Thursday.
“The People firmly believe that the March 26 Order should be interpreted as providing protection for not only family members of the Court, but also for the District Attorney and all other individuals mentioned in the Order,” stated the letter. The letter emphasized the need for the Court to provide a clear clarification or confirmation regarding the scope of protection offered by the Order.
According to Steinglass, there are several individuals who may serve as witnesses in the upcoming trial. He highlighted that these potential witnesses have expressed concerns about their safety. Furthermore, Steinglass suggested that Trump’s recent post has the potential to impact the willingness of these witnesses to participate in the trial, which is scheduled for April 15th.
According to the letter, it is highly possible that individuals who could potentially serve as trial witnesses or jurors, but are not currently targeted by the defendant’s verbal attacks, may become fearful. The letter emphasizes that this fear is not unfounded, as several potential witnesses have already expressed serious concerns about their safety and the safety of their family members if they were to testify against the defendant.
In response to the request, Todd Blanche, Trump’s defense attorney, argued that Trump’s posts were allowed under the terms of the limited gag order. According to Blanche, the order does not explicitly forbid statements about Merchan’s family.
Blanche argued that the People’s claim about the gag order’s application was incorrect. According to Blanche, the Court cannot instruct President Trump to do something that the gag order does not explicitly require.
In April of last year, Trump entered a plea of not guilty to a 34-count indictment. The charges against him included falsifying business records in relation to a hush money payment made by his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just prior to the 2016 presidential election.
Jury selection for the trial is set to begin on April 15 in New York City. The ex-president maintains his innocence, denying any wrongdoing.
