Judge Warned Trump Not to Incite Unrest

Donald Trump was told not to incite violence during his historic arraignment in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday. CNN correspondent Kara Scannell says prosecutors showed Judge Juan Merchan some of Trump's social media posts and said the former president was threatening the city and the justice system with "irresponsible" remarks. Scannell says the judge told both sides to "tamp down the rhetoric" to avoid inciting unrest and "particularly speaking to former President Trump, not to make any statements that would incite any violence or threats against any officials," though he acknowledged Trump's right to free speech and did not impose a gag order blocking him from discussing the case.

In social media posts before the hearing, Trump slammed the judge and the "KANGAROO COURT" but he didn't say much during the hour-long arraignment, the New York Times reports. After pleading not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, he was mostly silent as prosecutors explained the charges and lawyers sparred. The next in-person hearing in the case is scheduled for December. Prosecutors asked for the trial to begin in January 2024, though defense attorney Todd Blanche said spring that year would be more realistic, the Washington Post reports. Prosecutors said Tuesday that Trump and others used a "catch and kill" scheme to bury damaging stories ahead of the 2016 election. (More Donald Trump stories.)