Legal Experts Not Convinced By Trump’s Potential First Amendment DefenseTrump’s legal team has hinted at using the First Amendment as part of its defense, arguing that the indictment is an attack on the former president’s right to free speech. But legal experts say they aren’t convinced by that strategy. The First Amendment does provide protection for most manners of speech, and lying to the public is technically not a crime. But given that prosecutors said Trump and co-conspirators took several steps to transform the former president’s speech into action, experts argue that there is little legal merit to any First Amendment claims. “Saying a statement in isolation is one thing,” George Washington University law professor Mary Anne Franks told The Associated Press.

Source: Huffington Post August 04, 2023 13:02 UTC