A federal judge banned former President Donald Trump from making "inflammatory" remarks that could taint the jury pool before his trial for attempting to rig the 2020 election.
However, Judge Tanya Chutkan decided that Trump could make public some of the non-sensitive evidence prosecutors revealed to his legal team.
The special counsel suffered a setback due to the court's decision; he had expressed concern that Trump may divulge classified information and threaten witnesses. Trump has been under immense scrutiny in the last few years, fighting off criminal investigations and indictments.
During a 90-minute session in Washington, DC, the judge stated that the historic case was going typically.
"He is a criminal defendant. He will have restrictions like every other defendant," the judge said.
One of several legal arguments between the former president's legal team and federal prosecutors is what Trump can publicly reveal.
In criminal situations, requests for protection orders are pretty common.
Defense teams frequently refrain from objecting to the orders because doing so would prolong "discovery," the procedure by which prosecutors turn over evidence.
But in this instance, Trump and his attorneys claimed that their right to free speech was restricted and that only crucial information should be kept secret.
Judge Chutkan concurred. She cautioned that she would not let a "carnival atmosphere" during his ultimate trial and said that his First Amendment rights were "not absolute" while the matter was still pending.
In a second forthcoming New York case involving alleged hush money payments to former adult film actress Stormy Daniels, a protection order already covers the former president.
In another instance involving his alleged improper handling of confidential documents, his legal team also consented to comparable terms.
Do you think the judge's restrictions on Trump are justified?
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