Judge orders Michael Cohen rereleased from prison

A federal judge ruled Thursday that the probation agreement pushed by the Justice Department may have violated convicted felon Michael Cohen’s First Amendment rights and that the former lawyer for President Trump should be released from prison by Friday.

Cohen, 53, pleaded guilty to numerous counts of tax fraud, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations and was sentenced to three years in federal prison in December 2018. He was released on home arrest in May over concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. In early July, Cohen was sent back to prison and later sued Attorney General William Barr, claiming there was an attempt to punish him for wanting to publish a book. The judge ruled the government’s actions to be improper.