By NewsBlogger The hush money trial involving former President Donald Trump in New York City has taken a dramatic turn as Judge Juan Merchan tightened the gag order due to concerns about trial integrity. At the same time, Trump posted a $175 million bond in his civil fraud case, facing significant financial and legal challenges.
At a glance
- Judge tightened gag order due to attacks on family
- Concerns about fair administration of justice and the rule of law
- Trump barred from making public statements about trial participants
- Trump posted $175 million bond in civil fraud case
- Legal challenges and financial pressures facing Trump
The details
The hush money trial involving former President Donald Trump in New York City has taken a dramatic turn as Judge Juan Merchan of the New York Supreme Court tightened the gag order due to attacks on the judge’s family.
The judge expressed concerns about the fair administration of justice and the rule of law, citing Trump’s statements as a threat to trial integrity.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg requested an extension of the gag order to cover court officers’ families, pointing to deleted social media posts that appeared to target the judge’s daughter.
Trump’s Gag Order
Previously, Judge Merchan had barred Trump from making public statements about trial participants, but the order did not include family members of court staff.
Trump’s lawyers sought the judge’s recusal, accusing him of bias and collusion.
They argued that expanding the gag order would violate free speech rights, but Judge Merchan dismissed these arguments as “strained” and “baseless misrepresentations.” The new gag order now prohibits Trump from making public statements about court staff family members as the case continues to unfold.
Trump’s Civil Fraud Case
In a separate development, Donald Trump posted a $175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case, temporarily halting the enforcement of the full $464 million in penalties.
New York officials were poised to potentially seize Trump’s assets or properties after a judgment found him, his adult sons, and Trump Organization executives liable in a decade-long scheme.
Trump obtained the bond payment through Knight Specialty Insurance Company and his attorney expressed optimism about vindicating his rights on appeal.
An appeals court granted Trump a 10-day extension to pay off the bond, but if the appeal is unsuccessful, the defendants face a hefty $364 million penalty plus $100 million in interest.
Trump, who has argued that the investigations are politically motivated, could be facing a significant financial crisis with ongoing criminal and civil cases.
Despite claiming to have around $500 million “in cash” on hand, Trump has been spending millions on legal fees to fight multiple cases in federal and state courts.
In March, he also secured a $91.6 million bond for another lawsuit, while one of his political action committees reported spending $230,000 a day on legal fees.
The developments in both the hush money trial and the civil fraud case underscore the legal challenges and financial pressures facing Donald Trump as he navigates a complex legal landscape.
The ongoing legal battles and high-stakes proceedings continue to draw attention and scrutiny as the cases unfold in the courts.
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| independent.co.uk |
|---|
| – Judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York City tightens gag order due to attacks on judge’s family – New York Supreme Court judge Juan Merchan says Trump’s statements pose a threat to trial integrity – Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg requested extension of gag order to cover court officers’ families – Social media posts cited by Bragg appeared to have been deleted – Judge Merchan expresses concerns about fair administration of justice and rule of law – Trump accused of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments – Judge Merchan previously barred Trump from making public statements about trial participants – Order did not include family members of court staff – Trump’s lawyers sought Judge Merchan’s recusal, accused him of bias and collusion – Trump allegedly posted photos of Judge Merchan’s daughter on social media – Trump’s lawyers argue expanding gag order would violate free speech rights – Judge Merchan dismisses arguments as “strained” and “baseless misrepresentations” – New gag order prohibits Trump from making public statements about court staff family members – Case is ongoing |
| independent.co.uk |
|---|
| – Donald Trump posted a $175m bond in his New York civil fraud case – The bond payment temporarily stopped enforcement of the full $464m in penalties – New York officials were preparing to potentially seize Mr Trump’s assets or properties – The judgment found that Mr Trump, his adult sons, and Trump Organization executives were liable in a decade-long scheme – Mr Trump obtained the bond payment through Knight Specialty Insurance Company – Mr Trump’s attorney stated that he looks forward to vindicating his rights on appeal – An appeals court gave Mr Trump a 10-day extension to pay off the bond – If the appeal is unsuccessful, the defendants face a $364m penalty and $100m in interest – Mr Trump could be facing a major financial crisis due to ongoing criminal and civil cases – Mr Trump has argued that the investigation is politically motivated – Mr Trump has claimed he has around $500m “in cash” on hand – Mr Trump also secured a $91.6m bond in March for another lawsuit – Mr Trump is spending millions on legal fees fighting multiple cases in federal and state courts – One of Mr Trump’s political action committees reported spending $230,000 a day on legal fees |
