On Thursday, an appeals court ruled that the gag order implemented prior to the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump in New York will persist until his sentencing in September.
Despite being barred from commenting publicly on prosecutors and court staff involved in the case, as well as their families, President Trump has persistently challenged this order. The original order also prevented him from discussing witnesses and jurors, but those restrictions were lifted shortly after his May 30th felony conviction.
Criticism towards Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, has been freely expressed by Trump.
After being convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, the Republican presidential nominee has recently contested the gag order. His legal team argued that the gag order should have been lifted with the end of the trial. The unanimous jury verdict had led to the latest challenge to the order.
The state’s second highest court, the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, held a different opinion than New York.
The appellate panel stated that Trump’s argument that the conclusion of the trial justifies the termination of the remaining Restraining Order provision is not convincing.
In its ruling, the appellate court maintained that the gag order would stay in effect until Trump’s sentencing.
In their statement, they emphasized that sentencing is a crucial component of the criminal proceeding and is integral to the fair administration of justice.
In a statement given to CBS News, a representative from Trump’s campaign referred to the gag order as “blatantly un-American.”
Steven Cheung, the spokesperson, stated that President Trump is aggressively opposing the ruling of Acting Justice Merchan to uphold some portions of the unconstitutional gag order.
The sentencing of Trump was initially set for July 11th. However, the date was postponed as he filed a motion to dismiss his conviction. He cited a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding presidential immunity.
On September 6th, Merchan announced his decision regarding Trump’s motion. If the motion is rejected and the conviction remains in place, he will sentence Trump on September 18th.
