A New York appeals court has denied Donald Trump’s request to overturn a gag order that limits his public statements following his New York criminal conviction. Currently, the gag order prohibits Trump from publicly addressing prosecutors, court staff, and their families.
In its decision filed on Thursday, a panel from the Appellate Division First Department ruled that Judge Juan Merchan may maintain the gag order until Trump’s sentencing.
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Merchan had previously relaxed parts of the gag order following Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, allowing Trump to speak about trial witnesses and the jury. However, the restrictions on his comments regarding court and prosecution staff and their families remain in effect.
The appeals court stated, “Contrary to petitioner’s contentions, the People’s evidentiary submissions in opposition to his motion in Supreme Court demonstrate that threats received by District Attorney staff after the jury verdict continued to pose a significant and imminent threat.”
Trump’s sentencing, initially set for July, has been postponed to mid-September as Merchan reviews his motion to overturn the conviction following the US Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity.
(Includes inputs from online sources)
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