New York’s top court on Tuesday declined to hear Donald Trump’s gag order appeal in his hush money case, leaving the restrictions in place following his felony conviction last month. The Court of Appeals found that the order does not raise “substantial” constitutional issues that would warrant an immediate intervention.

The decision is the latest legal setback for the Republican former president, who has repeatedly railed against the gag order, which prevents him from commenting on witnesses, jurors and others who were involved in the case. But it could be short lived. The trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, is expected to rule soon on a defense request to lift the gag order.

Trump’s attorneys filed a notice of appeal with the state’s high court on May 15, during the former president’s landmark criminal trial. They argued that the gag order restricted Trump’s “core political speech on matters of central importance at the height of his Presidential campaign.”

But the Court of Appeals disagreed. In a decision list posted on Tuesday, the court said it would not automatically hear the case, writing that “no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.”

  • partial_accumen
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    6913 days ago

    If Merchan lifts the gag order before sentencing, Trump will immediately give all the justification for a harsh sentencing.

    • Cosmo
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      5413 days ago

      If Merchan doesn’t lift the gag order before sentencing, Trump may still give all the justification for a harsh sentencing. 😂

      • billwashere
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        2513 days ago

        Trump has already given the justification for a harsh sentencing.

    • @Viking_Hippie
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      13 days ago

      He’s already doing that by repeatedly violating it.

      He’s shown such contempt (in both the legal and colloquial sense of the word) for the proceedings and hangs out with so many other convicted criminals on a daily basis that probation is more or less out of the question.

          • Track_Shovel
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            313 days ago

            Can they appeal after sentencing, does that have to come before?

            • partial_accumen
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              13 days ago

              They’ve already appealed and the court didn’t see enough to justify an appeal. So that appeal was declined. Thats what the OP article is about. Sentencing doesn’t stop or interfere with the appeal process.

      • @DevCat
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        813 days ago

        Let me introduce you to wombat poop. Go ahead and google that.

        • @Viking_Hippie
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          13 days ago

          Those are a more relaxed sort of cube, though. Not that sharp and presumably not terribly hard either.

          • @nomous
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            313 days ago

            Imagine pooping legos.

            • @Viking_Hippie
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              113 days ago

              Not what I needed first thing in the morning, but thanks. Now I am. 😄