CURTAILED: How a Manhattan judge plans to rein in Donald Trump

The former president will soon sit before a judge and be given firm directions about his behavior for his upcoming felony trial.

The case won’t be heard until early in 2024, but in the intervening months, Donald Trump’s attorneys will see evidence brought by witnesses in the case.

Disclosure of this information publicly could put witnesses in danger, on top of the harassment and abuse they already endure from his fans for daring to stand against him.

The prosecutors in the case have expressed concerns about the behavior for which Trump has earned a reputation — bashing witnesses on his social media, spreading disinformation, and various other means of attempting to sabotage litigation.

They’ve already set limits on how he can access evidence, and now a judge will hold a hearing for the purpose of impressing upon Trump and his attorneys the seriousness of these rules.

Trump, who will only be allowed to see some of the evidence — and only in the company of his attorneys — is expected to receive instructions about not publicly disparaging witnesses, and not disclosing any of the evidence.

The judge is expected to impress upon Trump what the potential consequences will be if he is unable or unwilling to obey these rules. The Associated Press reports:

“Judge Juan Manuel Merchan scheduled the hybrid hearing — the former president on a TV screen, his lawyers and prosecutors in court — to go over the restrictions with Trump and to make clear that he risks being held in contempt if he violates them.”

So far, Trump hasn’t shown much skill in withholding his public attacks on not only witnesses but also on judges and jurors.

So much so that the jury in his recently completed rape case was not only kept anonymous through the process, but warned by the judge that staying anonymous would be in their best interests after the fact.

In the felony case at hand, the witnesses include his former fixer Michael Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels (who Trump calls “Horseface”), both of whom he has heaped with criticism and attacks.

In March, for example, he claimed that she had made up the affair with him for profit. He said, in part:

“I did NOTHING wrong in the “Horseface” case. I see she showed up in New York today trying to drum up some publicity for herself…She knows nothing about me other than her conman lawyer, Avanatti, and convicted liar and felon, jailbird Michael Cohen, may have schemed up. Never had an affair with her, just another false acquisition by a SleazeBag. Witch Hunt!”

Within a week of that post, Daniels was forced to “beef up” her security in response to death threats and other harassment, according to the New York Post. 

Stephanie Bazzle

Steph Bazzle is a news writer who covers politics and theocracy, always aiming for a world free from extremism and authoritarianism. Follow Steph on Twitter @imjustasteph. Sign up for all of her stories to be delivered to your inbox here: