Judge bars Trump from 'smear campaign' against prosecutors, witnessesA federal judge on Monday barred Donald Trump from verbally attacking U.S. prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses involved in a criminal case that accuses him of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, pointing to disparaging social media posts, said she would not allow the former U.S. president, who has pleaded not guilty, to "launch a pretrial smear campaign" against people involved in the case.
"No other criminal defendant would be allowed to do so, and I’m not going to allow it in this case," Chutkan said as she issued the order.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Iowa on Monday, Trump called the judge's order "unconstitutional" and vowed to appeal it.
"I'll be the only politician in history that runs with a gag order where I'm not allowed to criticize people," Trump told supporters.
The order bars Trump, frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and attorneys in the case from personally targeting Special Counsel Jack Smith, prosecutors working with him and court staff.
It also prevents Trump from discussing potential witnesses as relates to their testimony at trial.
Trump's trial is due to begin in five months. He is charged with conspiring to interfere in the counting of votes and block the certification of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.....................
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judge-highlights-disparaging-trump-comments-election-case-2023-10-16/