(FreePressBeacon.com) – In the middle of a rising campaign, GOP nominee Donald Trump suffered a setback after a New York appeals court upheld a partial gag order against him.
The order bars Trump from publicly discussing prosecutors, court staff and their families following his conviction in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case.
A five-judge panel from the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division supported Judge Juan Merchan’s decision to maintain the gag order until Trump’s sentencing on September 18.
The judges justified the safeguard due to the significant threats the court staff faced following the verdict.
Initially, the gag order prevented Trump from talking about witnesses and jurors involved in his trial, where he was found guilty of falsifying business records during his 2016 campaign.
However, Judge Merchan relaxed these restrictions in late June, allowing Trump to speak openly about witnesses and jurors but not about the prosecutors or court staff directly involved in his case.
Trump’s lawyers appealed to lift this gag order as part of a broader legal strategy. They argued that the restrictions violated Trump’s First Amendment rights and hampered his campaigning efforts.
They contended that the order was unnecessary since the trial ended in May. However, the appeals court found no excess in jurisdiction in maintaining the order while the case was still active.
Trump’s campaign has been vocal against the gag order. Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung labeled it as “blatantly un-American” and argued that it unfairly muzzles Trump, particularly about those who have targeted him.
“President Trump continues to forcefully challenge Acting Justice Merchan’s decision to leave in place portions of the unconstitutional Gag Order,” Cheung stated.
He blasted the ruling for preventing “President Trump from speaking freely about Judge Merchan’s disqualifying conflicts.”
Trump’s sentencing was initially planned for early July, right before the Republican National Convention, but was postponed to September.
This delay allows the Supreme Court to discuss an opinion regarding presidential immunity further, which could potentially lead to a new trial or the dismissal of the charges.
Judge Merchan is expected to make a decision on the presidential immunity issue by September 6.
Depending on his ruling, the gag order may be lifted at that time or could be extended until the sentencing.
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