Judge Merchan just hit TFG with a gag order.

[Ocelot II]

The New York judge presiding over one of Donald J. Trump’s criminal trials imposed a gag order on Tuesday that prohibits him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and jurors, the latest effort to rein in the former president’s wrathful rhetoric about his legal opponents.

The judge, Juan M. Merchan, imposed the order at the request of the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which brought the case against Mr. Trump. The district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, has accused Mr. Trump of covering up a potential sex scandal during and after his 2016 campaign.

The ruling comes on the heels of Justice Merchan’s setting an April 15 trial date, rejecting Mr. Trump’s latest effort to delay the proceeding. It will mark the first criminal prosecution of a former American president.

Under the judge’s gag order, Mr. Trump cannot make, or direct others to make, statements about witnesses concerning their roles in the case. Mr. Trump is also barred from commenting on prosecutors and court staff.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/nyregion/trump-trial-gag-order.html
No paywall: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/nyregion/trump-trial-gag-order.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fk0.usqR.1yWi9UIyK2pe&smid=url-share

[Nevilledog]

1. Good. I hope he violates it and gets sanctioned.

Who am I kidding? Of course he'll violate it.

[rurallib]

16. Trump wants to be sanctioned, convicted or anything that will show that the

establishment (that is Biden) is using the legal system to shut him down. That seems to be his current strategy to get votes.

So he will push it to try to get some reaction.

[Nevilledog]

18. It's time he faces real consequences. I don't care what the cult morons believe.

[orangecrush]

28. THIS

[ShazzieB]

39. x 1000!

[cayugafalls]

25. To the magaloons that follow turdumpkin, his victimhood is their victimhood.

The magaloons are victims of a ignorance, low iq and media complicity. Magaloons feel as if all their lives they have been held down by the system (whatever system that may be - depends on the amount and quantity of whiskey, weed and or whip-its they may have consumed).

So when turdumpkin plays the victim and says, 'See, they are trying to hold me down too!'

They buy it...just like they buy the blue light special at wally world.

[birdographer]

29. I agree it is his strategy

but it won't bring any more votes than there would have been. His days of gaining even one new follower or vote are long over. With luck, all this whining will make at least one cult member wonder if he is supporting a fussy toddler.

[Irish_Dem]

52. Trump is playing a dangerous and not a well thought out strategy.

[LiberalLovinLug]

34. "Of course he'll violate it."

You forgot,
And of course he'll get away with it.

No judge has the balls to actually put him in jail.
And his cult will provide him any monetary penalties.

[GreenWave]

2. And jail time for when he shoots off his mouth...

No more warnings of the warnings ...

[spooky3]

3. Is the judge not allowed to extend protection to himself and his family? Nt

[getagrip_already]

4. Family of court staff is included

Trump threated the judges daughter.

What did he expect....

[spooky3]

5. Good. Thanks. Nt

[PCIntern]

13. I knew the judge would not take any shit

I posted that a little bit ago

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18810986

[onenote]

60. No, the gag order does not apply to the judge or the judge's family.

These are the categories of individuals to which the gag order limits Trump's ability to comment:

" ( 1 ) counsel in the case other than the District Attorney, ( 2 ) members of the court's staff and the Diistrict Attorney's staff, or ( 3 ) the family members of any counsel or staff member, if those statements are made with the intent to materially interfere with, or to cause others to materially interfere with, counsel's or staffs work in this criminal case, or with the knowledge that such interference is likely to result"

Judge Merchan is neither "counsel" nor "court staff" and thus comments about him OR his family are not covered.

[getagrip_already]

64. The judge is not court staff? My mistake then...

Court staff sounds like it would include him, but I'm not a lawyer, so I'll defer.

I guess it's kind of like the question of is the president an officer.

[onenote]

65. Gag orders rarely cover comments about the judge

The reason for the gag order is the concern that it will impact the integrity of the trial. It is presumed that a judge will not allow Trump's comments to affect his or her judgment.

[senseandsensibility]

6. Backing down or trying to play fair with cheato

leads to more chaos. Nip it in the bud!

[lindysalsagal]

7. He just can't shut the hell up.

So we need to lock him up where he can't get air time or online time.

[Irish_Dem]

53. Yes Trump cannot keep his mouth shut.

He is impulsive and feels immune from consequences.

[AverageOldGuy]

8. Trump will violate the order . . .

. . . 10, 9, 8, . . . BOOM!!!

[TheRickles]

26. I'm sure you're right. What'll the penalty be?

[LittleGirl]

9. He has the right to remain silent

But can he? Remain silent? That MOUTH never stops running.
Lock him up. Please

[SergeStorms]

40. They should....

super glue his lips together, but only after sand-papering them for 20 minutes or so.

That might get him to be quiet, temporarily, but I'm sure he'd find some other way to annoy people. It's in his DNA.

[et tu]

10. smelvis suffers from

'foot in mouth' disease- he will only shut up when 6' under imho~

[EndlessWire]

11. Oh, here we go...

Wake me up if the trial ever starts now. It isn't going to start on the 15th. Pretrial motions will go on and on. Trump doesn't even have to say anything else.

I hope in November that those states which count so much in the EC wake up and see Trump for what he is, a monster. I hope they do the right thing. We absolutely gotta GOTV, but I am beginning to think of how to survive the following four years, if we don't reelect Biden.

And, I'm only saying four years because that's the norm here. In reality, Trump will never hold another true election. He'll be like Putin, with fake elections after getting rid of his opponents, one way or another. I don't care what anyone on this board says about Debbie Downer, or doomsaying. We live in strange times. Brothers and sisters, we are in trouble!

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. NYPD "logged 89 threats against the district attorney, his family or employees of his office in 2023"

The New York City Police Department had only logged one threat against the district attorney and his office in the 15 months before Mr Trump “rallied his supporters in protest of this investigation and indictment,” the filing states.

But the agency’s threat assessment unit logged “an extraordinary surge in threat activity that began on the very day” Mr Trump began targeting him and other New York officials, they added.

That unit logged 89 threats against the district attorney, his family or employees of his office in 2023, the first of which occurred the same day that the former president called on his supporters to “protest” and “take our nation back,” the filing states.

Police reviewed 600 threatening phone calls and emails in March of last year alone, as the office prepared to indict the former president.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/judge-hands-trump-another-gag-190839728.html

And yet, according to CNBC, Trump has been allowed to continue to rouse the rabble against Bragg himself:

Merchan’s order still allows Trump to speak out about Alvin Bragg, the D.A. prosecuting the former president on charges of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/26/trump-hit-with-gag-order-in-new-york-hush-money-case-after-slamming-judge.html

Trump has, since Jan 6th 2021, been inciting violence against representatives of the USA. And a judge won't stop it, because Trump has the backing of one of the 2 established parties in his intimidation and treason.

[ffr]

14. WHAT!? No stern warning with 15 days to comply "or else?"

What a joke! Arrest the motherfucker already and throw away the key!

End America's nightmare!

[limbicnuminousity]

23. Out of order.

The stern warning comes after he violates the existing order. It may even come on official letterhead.

[Orrex]

15. Has Clarence Thomas personally overturned it yet?

[Irish_Dem]

55. He's waiting for orders along with payment.

He won't do any work unless it is worth his while.

[Aviation Pro]

17. Good, Judge Merchan no fuck around....

....I wouldn't put it past him when Motherfucker violates the order to summon the fucking parasite to his court and immediately incarcerate the shitbag at Rickers pending trial.

[Ping Tung]

19. Biden's best vote getter is Trump's mouth.

[AllaN01Bear]

20. i hope its a full gag and not those stupid partial things , and if one iota out of line , bambo, into the klink.

[mwb970]

21. trump triggers America's gag reflex.

[toad-eye]

22. Gonna be fun!

This should be so fun.
No teases about issuing the gag order.
This leads me to believe that sanctions will be immediate WHEN tRump violates the order like the lack-of-impulse-control dumbass he is.
(insert Nelson laugh)

[Warpy]

24. The only ways to enforce such an order

are to put him into custody away from all his electronic toys or amputate his fingers.

[TheRickles]

27. Anybody know what the penalty is if/when Trump violates this order?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

35. That's my question also.

[Justice matters.]

59. In this effed'up system, usually starts with a five-thousand dollar fine...

Then the next penalty for doubling down the violations, he gets a 50-thousand dollars fine...

Then a million... then 50 millions, only then he'll get a house arrest judgment (my guess) because he is above all laws and he knows it.

[Evolve Dammit]

30. He's a fucking mob boss, cult leader criminal. It's criminal threatening, which is a crime. LOCK HIS ASS UP

[flvegan]

31. Uh huh. I'm so sure Orange Shitmuffin will comply with this one.

And when he doesn't, his lawyers will get the strongest talking to by the judge.

[Hassler]

32. Unless the gag involves the actual application of duct tape

Over his pie hole it's meaningless.

[Beachnutt]

33. Msnbc

?feature=shared

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

36. I rather expect he'll violate the gag order

no latter than the end of the day.

[Jim__]

37. They need to use a physical gag.

[ShazzieB]

38. YES! 🤜🤛

I'm am SO glad to hear this! Every pne of his criminal trials should start out like this from now on!

PS. I know some people don't think any of the criminal trials, including this one, are ever going to actually happen, but please humor me, okay?

[Mr. Evil]

41. I think one problem judges and others have is,

if they incarcerate him for violating bail restrictions and gag orders, what do they do about his Secret Service detail? I also think that is a major factor in why Mighty Mouth keeps yapping.

[Think. Again.]

44. That would be up to the secret service to figure out and...

...I suspect they're pretty good at what they do.

[Irish_Dem]

56. The Secret Service would turn Trump over to the Bureau of Prisons.

I read an article about it.
All done professionally and legally.
Yes the SS can do it.

[pfitz59]

42. Worthless unless enforced

Jail the orange turd. Or freeze all his accounts.

[Irish_Dem]

54. Large fines.

I seriously doubt any judge has the courage to jail Trump.

[Think. Again.]

43. I don't know, maybe the Judge should have....

....barred him from only making 1/3 of the statements he'd make, and only after giving him 10 more days to say whatever he wants?

For no good reason, of course.

[spanone]

45. K&R

[TigressDem]

46. K&R nt

[Blue Owl]

47. There's the cue for Diarrhea Donny to double down

[hadEnuf]

48. Trump should be hit with more than a gag order.

Multiple times, in fact.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

49. BREAKING: Judge Merchan has instituted a gag order on Donald Trump for his upcoming criminal hush money trial.

Link to tweet

[Irish_Dem]

57. Where's the consequence list for failure to comply?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

58. Trump warned no-nonsense judge means to enforce gag order: 'Has to stay within this line'

TFG may not want to piss off this judge

Link to tweet

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-gag-order-2667608916/

If Donald Trump can't help himself and continues chastising anybody from witnesses, court staff, or even jurors in his hush money trial, he will be headed to jail for contempt, an expert warned Tuesday night.

Former federal prosecutor and law professor Ryan Goodman sees drastic measures being employed should the former president fail to respect the New York judge's gag order, put in place earlier in the day.

"Now we have a gag order that says, 'If he goes after those witnesses, et cetera, there could be consequences and, at a certain point, he could be held in contempt, and that could mean jail time because there's nothing else that the court revealed to use in order to deter him, and he seems undeterrable otherwise."

Judge Juan Merchan issued the gag order to stop Trump from taking aim publicly at anybody directly involved in the case. It cites his his history of “threatening, inflammatory, denigrating” remarks about people tied to previous cases.

[NanaCat]

61. We already know what the consequences

Would be if anyone else violated such a gag order. That's why it's useless for the 'experts' to rattle on about that.

People want to know how it will work with this all-time most coddled traitor involved. That link doesn't provide that information.

BTW" nobody who cares about credibility uses Raw Story as a source.

[Irish_Dem]

63. I agree, the experts are worthless at times.

Lecturing us that Trump cannot do this or that.
Then of course Trump does this or that with no consequences.

[Irish_Dem]

62. Hard to imagine a judge actually putting Trump in jail for contempt.

It takes courage to do that.

I suspect the judge will do some sort of monetary fine.

[FlyingPiggy]

50. FOLOW. THROUGH. Arrest him if he fails to follow the gag order

All these threats mean nothing without follow through. I want to see the orange bastard see consequences of his actions. Ugh!!!! I am just so sick of him threatening his way theough everything and getting what he wants. ENOUGH! Fucking arrest his ass and lock him up!!’

[Irish_Dem]

51. Excellent. What are the consequences when Trump violates the order?

This judge is on the right track.
But if there are no consequences it is meaningless.