New York ramps up court security after Trump found liable for fraud

New York has escalated its security for the state court system following a judgment this week that former President Donald Trump and his adult sons are liable for fraud over their business' property valuations, reported court journalist Frank Runyeon.

"Court officers have been on a heightened state of readiness and officers have been cautioned to remain alert and vigilant both inside courthouses and while on perimeter patrols," a spokesperson said, according to Runyeon.

This is not the first time that legal problems facing the former president have prompted authorities to boost security for legal officials involved in the proceedings. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the 2020 election case against Trump in Washington, D.C., has also been assigned extra protection.

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In August, a Trump supporter in Texas was charged with making threats to kill Judge Chutkan, in addition to Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who is currently running for mayor of Houston.

The civil fraud case, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, seeks to bar the former president from doing business in the state of New York.

A legal order issued by Judge Arthur Engoron yesterday appears to have granted this demand at least in part, although several details remain unresolved and the civil trial is scheduled to begin next week.