Two federal judges have ordered former President Donald Trump to exercise restraint in his commentary regarding the cases against him; however, they may soon discover the futility of such an effort.
Legal experts contend that the First Amendment, along with Trump’s position as the leading candidate in his party’s presidential race, could render the judicial orders ineffective, according to The Daily Caller.
The outlet noted:
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued an order on August 21 prohibiting the former president from engaging in any acts of “intimidation,” whether through direct or indirect means, aimed at witnesses and other parties associated with the Georgia case, according to a court document. The order includes Trump’s social media posts and even his reposts of other people’s content. Moreover, Trump cannot communicate directly about the facts of the case with any co-defendant except through legal counsel.
Additionally, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a protective order on August 11 to restrict Trump’s speech about “sensitive materials” in the Washington, D.C. indictment for his conduct related to the 2020 election. “Sensitive materials” often include witness interviews and recordings of conversations.
“It will take an awful lot for Judge Chutkan to jail Trump, and you can bet he will push the line as far as he can,” University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade told the Washington Post. “It is a win-win situation for him. If he is not gagged and jailed, he can disparage prosecutors and witnesses with impunity. If he is jailed, he can portray himself as a victim of persecution.”
“The fact that he’s a presidential candidate absolutely gives him enhanced First Amendment protections,” Article III Project founder Mike Davis added in an interview with the Daily Caller. “This is core political speech.”
”While no judge is spoiling for a fight with Trump, judges cannot let defendants flout orders or the justice system is compromised,” Joan Meyer, partner at the law firm Thompson Hine LLP, told the outlet. “Trump is not above the law, and if he tries to test that too aggressively, he may find himself in violation.”
Despite the unique situation of Trump running for president as a former president, Bruce Rogow, founding professor of Nova Southeastern University Law Center, has noted that he will have considerable latitude to express himself.
“Trump, of course, is in a unique situation, and he can, as a candidate, rail against the prosecution generally, and he will not be sanctioned,” Rogow told the outlet.
“Indeed, the prosecution is an important part of his political performance as a candidate, so while most defendants would be careful not to antagonize the court, the prosecutors, he will find that useful,” he said.
“Indeed, the prosecution is an important part of his political performance as a candidate, so while most defendants would be careful not to antagonize the court, the prosecutors, he will find that useful,” he added.
Kenneth White, a former federal prosecutor, declared to The Washington Post that the 45th president of the United States has an optimal First Amendment case to discuss the accusations, evidence, and witnesses levelled against him.
Additionally, Meyer informed The Daily Caller that enforcement of the court’s restrictions is further complicated by the fact that one of his accusers is also vying for nomination in 2024 – his own vice president, Mike Pence.
“Where it gets problematic for a court to enforce would be comments that Trump may make about his rival, Pence, or his posts claiming that charges against him are orchestrated retaliatory actions by the Democratic Party,” Meyer told the Daily Caller. “If he has a colorable claim that his statements are a fair commentary about the presidential race and the quality of the candidate he is criticizing, he won’t be in violation of a court order.”
ICYMI: Judge Orders Sealed Hearing for Protective Order in Trump Classified Documents Case
there is a much better racketeering case against the entire biden regime than there ever will be against president Trump !!!! As of today, OUR ENTIRE GOVERNMENT is nothing but a Criminal organization to the fullest extent of the term !!! I can hardly wait for election day, MAGA again in 24 !!!! FJB !!!!!!
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dam commie take over of our justice system if we don’t stop this now we will fall just like Poland did one law at a time where is the supreme court ?do they care?
Beyond any doubt, political speech is protected speech and anything spoken by a declared candidate is “political” in the strongest sense of the word. The right of every citizen to hear what a candidate has to say persuant to a pending election outweighs any concerns about contaminating a witness pool.
[…] ICYMI: Legal Experts Agree It Will Be Hard To Stop Trump From Discussing His Case Publicly […]