Former President Donald Trump can now speak out about the witnesses and jurors in his New York criminal trial. The gag order in place throughout the trial was partially lifted on Tuesday in a new order from New York Judge Juan Merchan.
In May, Trump became the first president to be convicted of a felony when the jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsified business records.
For the entire length of the trial, Trump was prohibited from making statements about potential witnesses, jurors or court staff and their families.
Some limitations remain after Merchan’s order Tuesday. Citing “ample evidence to justify continued concern for the jurors,” Merchan left in place protections that prohibit Trump from naming or releasing identifying information about the jurors. Trump still can’t make comments about the prosecutors, court staff and their family until he is sentenced on July 11.
Trump fought the gag order for months. Throughout the trial, he was fined several times — amounting to $10,000 — for violating the order.
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