Judge Chutkan granted Trump a right to free speech, but this is not absolute.
(photo: AP)
Washington In the first session in the case against Donald Trump in connection with the Capitol attack, the lawyers of the former US president exchanged blows with the judge, according to the media. At the meeting on Friday in Washington, DC, the question was whether Trump should be barred from disclosing certain evidence collected as part of a criminal investigation.
According to the media, Judge Tanya Chutkan made it clear that the republican has the right to freedom of speech. But this is “not at all”. Trump himself was not present at the hearing.
After the indictment, Trump responded in the usual fashion with verbal attacks. According to private attorney Jack Smith, his statements are aimed at witnesses, judges and lawyers involved in criminal proceedings.
Smith said it was evidence that Trump could not be relied upon to keep confidential classified information available to him during the proceedings. There is a risk that Trump will use the evidence to intimidate witnesses.
Judge Chutkan spoke about the positions of the two sides on this issue in the session. Trump’s lawyers rejected the prosecution’s arguments. The judge has now made it clear that she takes her duty seriously to ensure that the proceedings do not become a spectacle. If that means Trump can’t say certain things publicly, then so be it.
“In a criminal case like this, the defendant’s freedom of expression is governed by the rules,” the judge was quoted as saying by CNN. This was the first hearing the 61-year-old has ever led in the case – it was assigned to her at random.
Trump is the first former president in US history to face criminal charges. Recently, the 77-year-old was accused of his attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. At a hearing at the end of August, it should be clarified when the proceedings in this case should begin.
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