On Tuesday morning, the New York Court of Appeals rejected Donald Trump’s request to have the gag order against him lifted.
Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump’s request to hear his request to lift his gag order and stated, “No substantial constitutional question is directly involved.”
Trump’s legal team argued that the gag order violates Trump’s First Amendment rights.
Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, stated, “President Trump and his legal team will continue to fight against the unconstitutional Gag Order imposed by Justice Merchan.”
The legal counsel fo Trump has since filed an appeal to Merchan’s decision.
BREAKING: NY Appeals court denies Trump request to hear appeal of gag order in criminal hush money trial. pic.twitter.com/mL1GFzRPVM
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 18, 2024
Per Fox News:
The New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected former President Trump’s bid to have the gag order against him lifted, citing that “no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.”
ADVERTISEMENTJudge Juan Merchan imposed a gag order that restricts the former president and presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee from speaking about witnesses and the case now that Trump’s trial has concluded.
Trump’s lawyers cited the November presidential election and the first debate against President Biden later this month, as well as the First Amendment rights of the former president and his supporters as reasons for the order to be lifted.
When Merchan refused to lift the gag order, Trump appealed that decision – which the appeals court rejected on Tuesday.
Steven Cheung, Trump campaign spokesman, said in a statement, “President Trump and his legal team will continue to fight against the unconstitutional Gag Order imposed by Justice Merchan.”
“The Gag Order wrongfully silences the leading candidate for President of the United States, President Trump, at the height of his campaign. The Gag Order applies only to President Trump and not to any of his political opponents, critics, or even Crooked Joe Biden,” said Cheung.
BREAKING.🚨
New York's highest court court declined to hear Trump’s appeal on the gag order in his hush money case.
"Appeal dismissed without costs, by the Court… upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved." pic.twitter.com/y5YoAfDd4d
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) June 18, 2024
Here’s what CBS reported:
New York’s highest court ruled Tuesday that it will not consider former President Donald Trump’s challenge to a gag order in the criminal case in which he was recently convicted of 34 felony counts.
The Court of Appeals wrote in a one-sentence decision that the appeal was dismissed “upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.”
Justice Juan Merchan issued the gag order March 26, barring Trump from making public comments about witnesses, jurors, court and prosecutor staff, and the relatives of any counsel or court staffer. He later updated the order to include members of his own family.
ADVERTISEMENTMerchan cited statements made by Trump about people involved in the case as “threatening, inflammatory, [and] denigrating.”
Trump violated the gag order 10 times before and during the trial, where he faced charges of falsifying business records. Trump was found guilty of signing off on a scheme to cover up reimbursements for a “hush money” payment to an adult film star made days before the 2016 presidential election, in order to prevent voters from learning of her allegations.
BREAKING: Top New York court denies to hear Trump's appeal of gag order
pic.twitter.com/3JAhexUzNH— Valuetainment Media (@ValuetainmentTV) June 18, 2024
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!