Federal prosecutors in former US President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case requested a courtroom order on Friday to stop Trump from guaranteeing prejudicial and extrajudicial statements in an effort to restrict jury interference. The case is within the US District Courtroom for the District of Columbia.
The movement argues that, since Trump’s jury indictment, he has “repeatedly and broadly disseminated public statements attacking [] residents …, the Courtroom, prosecutors, and potential witnesses.” The movement cites a number of Trump posts which are “repeated inflammatory assaults on the judicial system, the Courtroom, and the residents … who compromise the jury pool on this case.” One among these posts referred to as the justice system “rigged.” Because of this, the movement requests a courtroom order pursuant to Local Criminal Rule 57.7(c) to ban most of these statements. Rule 57.7(c) permits a courtroom in “a broadly publicized or sensational legal case,” to “challenge a particular order governing such issues as extrajudicial statements by events, witnesses and attorneys prone to intervene with the rights of the accused to a good trial by an neutral jury.” Thus, the prosecutors request a “narrowly tailor-made order” that restricts sure statements that “current a severe and substantial hazard of materially prejudicing this case.”
In response to the movement, Trump stated:
Biden Prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, has requested the Courtroom to restrict forty fifth President, and main Republican Nominee (by greater than 50 factors, & beating Dems!) DONALD J. TRUMP’S, PUBLIC STATEMENTS. So, I’m campaigning for President in opposition to an incompetent one who has WEAPONIZED the DOJ & FBI to go after his Political Opponent, & I’m not allowed to COMMENT? They Leak, Lie, & Sue, & they gained’t permit me to SPEAK? How else would I clarify that Jack Smith is DERANGED, or Crooked Joe is INCOMPETENT?
A federal grand jury indicted Trump on this case in August 2023. Trump pleaded not responsible to conspiracy to defraud the US government, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against US voters’ civil rights. A Georgia state grand jury additionally indicted Trump in August on 13 legal costs regarding the 2020 election.
