According to Yahoo, in the ongoing legal battles involving former President Donald Trump, a New York state appeals court has reinstated a gag order imposed by Judge Arthur Engoron. This order prohibits Trump from making critical comments about Engoron’s court staff, including his clerk, Allison Greenfield. The court’s ruling comes after Trump violated the initial gag order, resulting in a $15,000 fine imposed by Engoron.
The reinstated gag order follows a temporary pause granted by a justice on the appeals court on November 16, which Trump used to resume his attacks on Greenfield. Lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James informed the appeals court that Greenfield received numerous threats, some of them antisemitic, from Trump’s supporters after he spread an unfounded rumor about her.
Despite the gag order, Trump continues to criticize Judge Engoron regularly and has expanded his attacks to include the judge’s wife. However, the current order doesn’t prohibit comments targeting the judge’s family.
In response to the appeals court’s decision, Judge Engoron emphasized his intention to enforce the gag orders rigorously and vigorously. Christopher Kise, Trump’s lawyer who sought to have the gag order permanently lifted, expressed disappointment, calling it “a tragic day for the rule of law.”
The significance of this development lies in the delicate balance courts must strike between Trump’s First Amendment rights and the safety of those he targets. The persistent attacks on witnesses, judges, prosecutors, and court staff have created legal complexities, requiring courts to consider the potential impact on finding an impartial jury in the numerous legal cases against the former president.
