At the first hearing 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 the US capital Washington, the question was whether Trump should be banned from making public certain evidence collected as part of the criminal investigation.
According to the reports, Judge Tanya Chutkan made it clear that the Republican did have the right to freedom of expression. But this is “not absolute”. Therefore, she will take action if the Republican does not follow the rules. Trump himself was not present at the hearing.
After the indictment, Trump responded in the usual manner with verbal attacks. According to special counsel Jack Smith, his statements are aimed at witnesses, judges and lawyers involved in the criminal proceedings. They are evidence that Trump cannot be relied upon to keep confidential information disclosed to him during the trial, Smith argued. There is a risk that Trump will use evidence to intimidate witnesses.
Judge Chutkan addressed both sides’ positions on the issue at the session. Trump’s lawyers dismissed the prosecution’s arguments. The judge made it clear that she took seriously her obligation to ensure that the trial was not a spectacle. If that means Trump can’t say certain things publicly, then so be it. No account can be taken of his efforts to run again for the presidency in the current election campaign.
She announced that she would issue such an order and warned Trump against intimidating witnesses. “In a criminal case like this, the defendant’s freedom of speech is subject to the rules,” CNN quoted the judge as saying. It was the first hearing that the 61-year-old led in the case – it was randomly assigned to her. Chutkan was installed by US President Barack Obama as a federal judge.
Trump is the first ex-president in US history to face criminal charges. Most recently, the 77-year-old was charged with his attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election. At a hearing at the end of August, it should be clarified when the process should begin in this case.