Reuters/Pool
Donald Trump's limited gag order is back on at the former president's New York civil fraud trial.
A New York appeals court on Thursday reinstated the gag order on Trump that bars him and his lawyers from making public statements attacking the legal staff of the judge presiding over the trial.
The gag order was temporarily lifted two weeks ago as Trump appealed the order.
New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, the judge overseeing the ongoing, non-jury trial, noted the decision by the four-judge appeals panel just before the morning break in Thursday's fraud-trial testimony.
"I intend to enforce the gag orders rigorously and vigorously and I wanted to inform counsel of that," Engoron told Trump's defense team.
Trump's lead attorney, Christopher Kise, responded by saying, "It's a tragic day for the rule of law, but we are aware."
Trump and his lawyers are now barred, again, from attacking the judge's legal staff either verbally or on social media.
The reasoning behind the three-page decision by the panel of appellate judges in Manhattan was not explained in any detail.
The four judges said only that prior to reinstating the gag, they had reviewed and deliberated on the submissions and arguments made by lawyers for Trump and for the New York attorney general's office.
