Appeals Court Temporarily Lifts Trump Gag Order in NY

Appellate division Judge David Friedman temporarily lifted a gag order on former President Donald Trump from the bench Thursday while the former president appeals the order. “Considering the constitutional and statutory rights at issue an interim stay is granted,” the judge wrote. The gag order was originally issued by New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over a civil bench trial regarding fraud committed by Trump Organization. This week, the defense filed a motion to declare a mistrial. Judge Friedman questioned Judge Engoron’s authority to police Trump’s speech outside the courtroom, stating that gag orders are often issued in criminal cases where the defendant may influence a jury....