Federal Judge Sides With DOJ On Protective Order And Says Trump’s Right To Free Speech Is “Not Absolute”

CNN reports:

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan said Friday that she plans to issue a protective order over the handling of evidence in the Donald Trump 2020 election interference case, saying it’s needed to protect witnesses or other interference in the trial.

The former president has a right to free speech, but that right is “not absolute,” the judge said at a hearing Friday. “Mr. Trump, like every American, has a First Amendment right to free speech, but that right is not absolute. In a criminal case such as this one, the defendant’s free speech is subject to the rules,” Chutkan said.

“Without a protective order, a party could release information that could taint the jury pool, intimidate witnesses or others involved in some aspect of the case, or otherwise interfere with the “process of justice,” she added.

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