New York’s highest court dismissed Donald Trump’s appeal of the gag order imposed in his Manhattan criminal trial, dealing a setback to the former president’s efforts to strip the restrictions after his conviction, reports Politico. The Court of Appeals wrote that Trump’s appeal was dismissed because “no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.” The gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan, barred Trump from publicly attacking witnesses, court staff and prosecutors other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. , Merchan held Trump in criminal contempt twice for violating the gag order and fined him a total of $10,000.
A jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star. He is set to be sentenced July 11. Trump’s appeal of the gag order is one of his many efforts to get the restrictions lifted. Trump’s lawyers asked Merchan to end the gag order, saying that “because the trial has concluded, the stated bases for the gag order no longer exist.” They also suggested he merited special consideration because of his presidential campaign. “Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump — who remains the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election — and the American people,” said attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove.