A federal judge, Reggie Walton, is facing criticism for making comments about former President Trump in a media interview while Trump is facing a federal trial in his district. Walton, who rarely gives media appearances, appeared in an interview with CNN and criticized Trump’s comments as “very disconcerting.” Legal experts have deemed Walton’s remarks as inappropriate given that Trump is a defendant in a separate case being brought by special counsel Jack Smith in Walton’s district. Former counselor to Attorney General Bill Barr, Kerri Kupec Urbhan, expressed concern about the lack of fairness and impartiality in Walton’s comments regarding Trump.
Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the hush money case involving Trump, recently imposed a gag order on Trump ahead of the trial scheduled for April 15. Trump criticized Merchan’s daughter, who has ties to a firm that consults for Democratic candidates, on Truth Social. Merchan cited Trump’s previous extrajudicial statements as the reason for the gag order, which prohibits Trump from speaking about witnesses, counsel in the case, or court staff. Walton, who has also presided over Jan. 6, 2021, cases, expressed concern over Trump’s comments in the media and stressed the importance of maintaining the rule of law to preserve democracy.
Walton’s comments have been met with criticism, with constitutional attorney John Shu deeming them unseemly. Shu argued that Walton should not be publicly discussing Trump or cases involving him, especially since one of Trump’s active cases is in Walton’s court. Shu also noted the distinction between Trump’s social media critiques and actual threats faced by judges and their families, which are considered criminal behavior. Carrie Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network, emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of judges and their families for upholding the rule of law, pointing to incidents like the attempted assassination of Justice Kavanaugh and protests at justices’ homes following the Dobbs v. Jackson opinion leak.
The trial involving Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is slated to begin on April 15, with Trump facing 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Merchan’s decision to impose a gag order on Trump was prompted by concerns over potential risks to the administration of justice based on Trump’s prior statements. Walton’s office declined to comment on the matter when approached by the media outlet, reinforcing the ongoing debate over the appropriateness of a sitting judge publicly commenting on cases involving high-profile individuals like Trump. The discussion around the rule of law, judicial independence, and the impact of public statements on legal proceedings continues to be a prominent issue in the legal community and beyond.
