On Monday, October 14, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan who assigned to oversee the 2020 election interference case against Donald Trump in Washington, imposed a narrow gag order on him. It barred the former Republican President from making statements targeting prosecutors, possible witnesses and court staff.
The order marks a contested moment in the federal case that accuses Trump of illegally conspiring to overturn his 2020 election “loss” to basement Joe Biden.
In what is going to0 most likely to be decided in the appeals courts, the gag order comes during the unprecedented fight over what limits can be a placed on the speech of a defendant who is also campaigning for America’s highest public office.
Trump legal team filed a motion to stay (halt) the gag order imposed by Judge Chutkan pending appeal.
On October 20, Judge Chutkan agreed to temporarily pause her own gag order in the DOJ’s January 6 case while Trump and Jack Smith submit appeal briefs.
According to Chutkan’s gag order, Trump cannot criticize Special Counsel Jack Smith or any of his prosecutors – even if based on facts.
Smith on the other hand can leak and lie about Trump, and pressure witnesses to turn on him, but the multi-billionaire is blocked from defending himself against the attacks without violating Chutkan’s unconstitutional gag order.
Last week, Judge Chutkan reinstated a gag order against Trump and argued in her latest ruling that Trump’s repeated inflammatory attacks on prosecutors, court officials, and witnesses had threatened to undermine the case and put people at risk.
A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily paused Judge Tanya Chutkan’s gag order against Trump in Jack Smith’s January 6 case in DC.
The 3-judge panel at the DC District Court of Appeals, all Democrats, froze Chutkan’s gag order. Oral arguments are set for November 20.
CNN reported:
A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily froze the limited gag order issued against Donald Trump in the former president’s election subversion criminal case in Washington, DC. In a brief order, a three-judge panel at the US DC Circuit Court of Appeals said they were pausing the gag order issued by District Judge Tanya Chutkan to give them more time to consider Trump’s request to pause the order while his appeal plays out before the court.
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