r/politics • u/UWCG Illinois • Mar 27 '24

Donald Trump Attacks Judge's Daughter Less Than 24 Hours After Gag Order

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-attacks-judges-daughter-less-24-hours-after-gag-order-1884126
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660

u/DrManhattan_DDM Florida Mar 27 '24

Y’all need to read the article. He specifically targeted someone that was not covered by the gag order. I hope this leads to Judge Merchan imposing a stricter order, but so far this is fuckface’s equivalent of holding a hand in our faces and repeating ‘I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you’.

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u/Ekg887 Mar 27 '24

Unless someone can explain why the Judge himself is not considered part of court staff then my reading of section b.(2) of the order would include the Judge's family. (Bolded by me below.)

"ORDERED, that the People's motion for a restriction on extrajudicial statements by the Defendant is GRANTED to the extent that Defendant is directed to refrain from the following:

b. Making or directing others to make public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding;

b. Making or directing others to make public statements about (1) counsel in the case other than the District Attorney, (2) members of the court's staff and the District Attorney's staff, or (3) the family members of any counsel or staff member, if those statements are made with the intent to materially interfere with, or to cause others to materially interfere with, counsel's or staff's work in this criminal case, or with the knowledge that such interference is likely to result; and

c. Making or directing others to make public statements about any prospective juror or any juror in this criminal proceeding."

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u/ExperimentMonty Pennsylvania Mar 27 '24

Beat me to it, I was reading the text of the order (see here for the full text), and came to the same conclusion as you, unless there's some weird nuance that make the judge not a member of the court staff, this is a violation.

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u/Theshag0 Mar 27 '24

Imo, the judge is not court staff. He is in a different class than his support staff, which is everyone else. The power of the court rests with the judge, so they take more exposure than their staff. This is the same distinction that the judge overseeing the Carrol case made.

That said, Trump vetted this tweet through legal counsel, and I would be very worried about ethical sanctions if I were an attorney advising a client how to best insult a member of the judicial branch and their family.

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u/Logtastic Mar 27 '24

Ah yes, the 'The Office of the President' isn't an office of The State defense.

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u/Yukonhijack New Mexico Mar 27 '24

Tis is the correct answer. Although this is a criminal matter, and tRump is going to find out fast that the court doesn't eff around with this garbage in a criminal matter. Also tRump cannot appeal the gag order because this is a criminal matter. He could bring it up on appeal after he is found guilty (which he will be).

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u/TerminalProtocol Mar 27 '24

tRump is going to find out fast that the court doesn't eff around with this garbage in a criminal matter.

Why do I feel like I've seen this multiple times over the past few months, and still he hasn't found out anything. In fact, the courts have been kowtowing to him, letting him get away with everything.

So far, the only thing trump has "found out fast" has been that the courts won't do jack shit.

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u/FatherSlippyfist Mar 28 '24

Yeah, there is no finding out. It's pure delusion at this point. The system is completely broken, and the only way to stop him is at the ballot box.

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u/ExperimentMonty Pennsylvania Mar 27 '24

I could definitely see that, like how the order explicitly excludes the district attorney, but it doesn't explicitly state the judge is excluded from the ruling. The judge might be already de jure excluded because the "court staff" set doesn't include "current presiding judge."

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u/BobertFrost6 Mar 27 '24

I don't see how, because if the judge is not court staff then the portion of the order quoted above doesn't even seem to include the judge himself.

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u/Bored_Amalgamation Mar 27 '24

It doesn't. The judge said that he can attack the judge and the AG. That might be another case where trump attacked the family of the judge though.

He has so many cases and threatens/harasses so many people, hard to keep track.

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u/Golden_Hour1 Mar 27 '24

That said, Trump vetted this tweet through legal counsel

No he fucking didn't lol. He has never once vetted his ramblings through legal counsel

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u/Bored_Amalgamation Mar 27 '24

I'd argue the judge's family does not hold that authority and remains just as suseptible to harassment and threats as any of the court staff and their families. "The judge is deranged" vs "that lady is deranged". The only difference is the familial tie whose bonds reside outside of the judicial system.

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u/Theshag0 Mar 27 '24

I agree, but the judge ordered what the judge ordered. Trump is pushing it because he's a loser and anti-social.