08/12/2023

Judge Orders Trump’s Speech Be Limited to Protect Trial, Witnesses

Judge to ’take whatever measures are necessary’ to safeguard proceedings

The U.S. judge overseeing Donald Trump's prosecution for allegedly criminally conspiring to overturn Joe Biden's election victory said that while every American has a First Amendment right to free speech, it is "not absolute" and that even the former president's campaign statements must give way to protecting the integrity of the court process.

In her first hearing over Trump's federal case in D.C., U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan took on extraordinary political and legal challenges of prosecuting Biden’s leading Republican 2024 rival, saying "the fact that [Trump] is running a political campaign" will have no bearing on her decisions and his speech "must yield to the orderly administration of justice."

"If that means he can't say exactly what he wants to say about witnesses in this case, then that's how it's going to be," Chutkan said Friday, repeatedly warning Trump and his defense of limits on what they can reveal about government evidence in the case. "Your client's defense is supposed to happen in this courtroom, not on the internet."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.