New York prosecutors urge Merchan to keep Trump gag order over fears he would criticize jury

Prosecutors in former President Donald Trump's hush money case on Friday asked Judge Juan Merchan to keep certain parts of a gag order on the former president in place, that would prohibit him from talking about jurors.

Trump was found guilty by a New York jury last month on 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump is expected to appeal the conviction, but will be sentenced on July 11.

The prosecutors in a court filing approved of lifting the gag order on Trump when speaking about witnesses in the case, but said protections for the jurors and court staff should remain in place, according to the Associated Press.

“Since the verdict in this case, defendant has not exempted the jurors from his alarming rhetoric that he would have ‘every right’ to seek retribution as president against the participants in this trial as a consequence of his conviction because ’sometimes revenge can be justified,'” the prosecutors wrote.

The gag order initially banned Trump from speaking about trial witnesses, jurors, and other people in the case, but did not stop him from talking or posting about Merchan, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, or the prosecutors.

Attorneys for Trump have urged the court to lift the gag order because the trial is over. But law enforcement officials said there have been an increase in threats against Bragg, his family, and court staff in recent months.

“Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights [of Trump]" they wrote earlier this month.

New York's highest court has denied Trump's request to weigh in and lift the gag order, claiming the order did not raise any legitimate "constitutional" concerns. Merchan is expected to issue his own ruling on the matter soon.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.