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Former President Donald Trump

Photo: Yuki Iwamura / AP

In February, New York prosecutors requested a

gag order

for the defendant in the hush money case against Donald Trump. Judge Juan M. Merchan has now granted this request. The ex-president is no longer allowed to speak publicly about witnesses, jurors, court employees, prosecutors or anyone else involved in the trial. This is intended to prevent him from attacking witnesses or revealing the identity of the jury.

In their motions, prosecutors pointed out that Trump "has a long history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, judges and others involved in legal proceedings against him."

Judge Merchan also cited this as a reason for his decision. Trump's previous statements about him and others involved in the case, as well as the upcoming trial date on April 15, were the reason he granted the prosecutor's request to be barred from speaking. “There is no question that the immediacy of the risk of harm is now the focus,” says Merchan.

The order also prohibits Trump from using other people to make public statements concerning those involved in the trial.

Not the first muzzle for Trump

The former US president will have to stand trial in a Manhattan court from April 15 on charges that he falsified business documents to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election. The case is the first of four criminal cases against Trump that are expected to go to trial. There has never been a criminal trial against a former president in US history.

Trump has pleaded not guilty. The case must be ended because it was brought for partisan political purposes and because state laws do not apply to federal elections, his lawyers said.

Judge Merchan had briefly postponed the start of the trial, originally scheduled for March, by 30 days after the defense and prosecution requested a delay. The prosecution had wanted more time to examine new evidence.

This is not the first time Trump has been muzzled. He was also given a

gag order

in his criminal trial for attempted election fraud . Trump has already appealed the order twice.

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