Special Counsel Jack Smith has requested a gag order be placed on Trump to stop him from prejudicing the jury and undermining the 1/6 case against him.
Since the grand jury returned an indictment in this case, the defendant has repeatedly and widely disseminated public statements attacking the citizens of the District of Columbia, the Court, prosecutors, and prospective witnesses. Through his statements, the defendant threatens to undermine the integrity of these proceedings and prejudice the jury pool, in contravention of the “undeviating rule” that in our justice system a jury’s verdict is to “be induced only by evidence and argument in open court, and not by any outside influence.” Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 351 (1966) (quotations omitted).
In accordance with the Court’s duty to “protect [its] processes from prejudicial outside interferences,” id. at 363, the Government requests that the Court take the following immediate measures to ensure the due administration of justice and a fair and impartial jury: (1) enter a narrowly tailored order pursuant to Local Criminal Rule 57.7(c) that restricts certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements; and (2) enter an order through which the Court can ensure that if either party conducts a jury study involving contact with the citizens of this District, the jury study is conducted in a way that will not prejudice the venire.
Smith is not going to stand back and allow Trump to undermine the trial and contaminate the jury pool with his constant attacks on the prosecutors, the people of Washington DC, witnesses, and the judge.
Trump is about to find out for the first time in his life that he can’t do and say whatever he wants when he wants. Smith is asking the judge to attach consequences for the former president’s words.
Donald Trump has met his match, and Special Counsel Jack Smith is not going to allow him to run wild over the trial. Finally, someone is trying to shut Trump up.