Key takeaways:
- A New York appeals court judge granted a stay of a gag order that barred former President Donald Trump from commenting on court staffers in his civil fraud trial.
- The stay of the gag order allows Trump to comment freely about court staff while a longer appeals process plays out.
- Judge Friedman cited constitutional concerns about restricting Trump’s free speech in his decision to grant the stay.
A New York appeals court judge has granted a stay of a gag order that barred former President Donald Trump from commenting on court staffers in his civil fraud trial. The order was imposed by Judge Arthur Engoron last month, after a derogatory post appeared on Trump’s Truth Social platform.
Judge David Friedman of the state’s intermediate appeals court issued the stay in response to a request filed by Trump’s legal team earlier this week. The request argued that the gag order violated Trump’s First-Amendment and the state’s freedom-of-speech rights.
The stay of the gag order allows Trump to comment freely about court staff while a longer appeals process plays out. Trump’s lawyers filed a lawsuit against the trial judge late Wednesday challenging the gag order as an abuse of power.
Judge Friedman cited constitutional concerns about restricting Trump’s free speech in his decision to grant the stay. The former president had previously been fined $15,000 for violations of the gag order.
The appeals court judge’s decision to grant the stay of the gag order is the latest development in the ongoing civil fraud trial. It remains to be seen how the appeals process will play out and if the gag order will be reinstated.
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