The Judge in the New York Court who presided over the arraignment of former United States President Donald Trump and his family have reportedly received several threats after his arrest. Earlier on Tuesday, Trump pleaded ‘not guilty’ to 34 criminal charges against him in a Manhattan criminal court. NBC was among the news outlets to report that the judge, Juan Merchan, and his family received “dozens of threats”. The threats, like those recently directed towards the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, and other officials, had come in the form of calls, emails and letters, NBC reported citing sources.
According to NBC, the New York police raised security surrounding the court and the police were also providing “extra security to all affected staff members”. Following the threats, biographies of employees working at Alvin Bragg’s office were removed from district attorney’s website.
“The content of the calls, emails and letters was … harassing and defamatory, with most of the trolls calling from out of state,” a source told NBC. Ahead of his arraignment, Trump sparked controversy with inflammatory social media posts about the case and Bragg and calls for protest.
Inside the court, Merchan warned Trump to “refrain from making statements that are likely to incite violence and civil unrest”, The Guardian reported. He also told a Trump lawyer: “I don’t share your view that certain language is justified by frustration,” as quoted by The Guardian.
In a speech in Florida, hours after the warning, former US President called Merchan “a Trump-hating judge,” The Guardian reported. According to The Guardian, he also attacked the family of the judge and said, “I have a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris” and called Bragg “a criminal”. He also went after other prosecutors.
The investigation against Trump started in the 2016 hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to conceal an alleged affair that he has constantly denied.