Former President Donald Trump has been hit with a judge's gag order in his upcoming criminal trial in New York, restricting him from publicly commenting about witnesses and court staff. Justice Juan Merchan granted a request for the order made by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, citing Trump's history of attacking individuals involved in legal proceedings against him. The trial, scheduled to begin on April 15, revolves around hush money paid to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, before the 2016 election.

The gag order bars Trump from making statements about witnesses, court staff, and prosecutors other than Bragg himself. It also restricts him from publicly commenting on potential jurors and their families. Trump's lawyers argued that the gag order violates his First Amendment rights to free speech, leaving him defenseless against attacks by political opponents. Merchan also ruled that jurors would remain anonymous except to Trump, his lawyers, prosecutors, and a few others, due to Trump's history of publicly deriding trial jurors and grand jurors.

The case is one of four criminal indictments Trump faces, with the former president pleading not guilty in all cases and portraying them as politically motivated. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to conceal reimbursements to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the payment to Stormy Daniels. Despite denying the affair with Daniels, Trump is facing multiple legal battles, including state criminal charges in Georgia and federal criminal charges in Florida.

The judge's decision to impose a gag order comes after Trump's repeated attacks on key witnesses and court staff in previous cases. The order aims to prevent further threats and intimidation that have accompanied Trump's legal battles. The former president now risks violating the order if he continues to publicly criticize individuals involved in the trial, including Cohen and prosecutors like Matthew Colangelo.

As the trial date approaches, Trump's defense team has requested a delay or dismissal of the case, accusing Bragg's office of conducting an inadequate effort to obtain relevant documents. The Justice Department recently turned over more than 100,000 pages of documents related to the case, including bank records and emails concerning the investigation into Cohen. The outcome of Monday's hearing will determine the next steps in the trial, as both sides prepare for a high-stakes legal battle in the coming weeks.