Trump judge urges tamping down rhetoric that might incite violence
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A supporter of Donald Trump argues with opponents outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office in New York City on April 4, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK – The New York judge overseeing the criminal case against Donald Trump over hush money payments to a porn star urged parties involved to refrain from making public statements that could incite violence or unrest.
Trump, the first former US president to be indicted, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal counts
The city’s police department, the US Secret Service and other authorities remain on high alert given the political firestorm over the case.
Prosecutors raised Trump’s past incendiary rhetoric in seeking a court order that would prevent him from posting documents from the case on social media.
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan did not issue a ruling on the protective order request. But he told the lawyers to tell their clients to “please refrain from making statements that are likely to incite violence or civil unrest”.
During the arraignment, prosecutors told the judge of their deep concern about Trump’s behaviour, including his recent posting of a photograph of himself holding a baseball bat next to an image of Mr Bragg.
Trump had also warned of “death & destruction” if he were charged and issued a call to action: “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”
Prosecutors said Trump’s “irresponsible social media posts” were a threat to the city as well as potential government witnesses and the families of people involved in the case.
In one post after the indictment last week, the former president called Mr Bragg’s wife “anti-Trump”.
Defence attorneys fired back on Tuesday, saying Trump’s remarks were the result of him being “frustrated, upset” by Mr Bragg’s case and what he described as leaks about the charges and unfair commentary by the government’s star witness, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.
The attorneys said it would be “patently unfair” to not allow their client to speak about his case.
After giving his warning to both sides, the judge said he did not have any immediate intention to silence Trump through a so-called gag order, which the judge described as “the most serious and least tolerable infringement on the First Amendment”.
The judge said that was especially true for someone running for the presidency.
Even so, Trump attorney Joe Tacopina told reporters that Trump would not post on social media about the case. He said “he’s committed” to that.
Towards the end of Tuesday’s hearing, the judge gave Trump what he described as a standard set of warnings to ensure proper behaviour by defendants in court.
He advised the former president against becoming disruptive in any way, saying: “I do have authority to remove you from the courtroom.”
The judge asked Trump if he understood.
“I do,” Trump said.
The judge said he also had a right to conduct a trial and impose a sentence without Trump present, if circumstances warranted it.
He asked the former president again if he understood.
“Yes,” Trump said. BLOOMBERG
