Appeals court judge suspends Trump’s New York silence order

After the initial order of silence was put in place, Trump’s lawyers began complaining repeatedly about Greenfield, accusing him of “rolling his eyes and constantly whispering,” and arguing that her habit of passing notes to Engoron during proceedings suggested that she had inappropriately influenced his decisions. Engoron then issued a second silence order prohibiting all attorneys working on the trial “from making any public statements, in or out of court, referring to confidential communications, in any form, between my staff and Me “.

Friedman’s decision comes after Trump’s lawyers filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Engoron over the hush orders, arguing they infringe on free speech.

“This constitutional protection reaches its peak when the speech in question is an essential political speech, delivered by the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, regarding perceived partisanship and bias in a trial where he faces hundreds of damages. million dollars in sanctions and the threat of a ban on his legal business activities in the state,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.

A trial court spokesperson declined to comment in response to an inquiry about the lawsuit or Friedman’s decision ending the hush orders.

The temporary pause in Engoron’s silence orders follows a separate, more sweeping silence order imposed on Trump in his criminal case in Washington, D.C., which was also lifted pending oral arguments before an appeals court scheduled for Monday.