Donald Trump's arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday was remarkable for many reasons; not only was it the first time a former US president has ever been arrested, it was also a media spectacle on a scale unheard of before, even in New York.
But there was another first during the proceedings, lesser noticed, that could have profound implications on the next election and beyond. It raises the prospect that a New York judge may succeed where many others have tried and failed, and force Mr Trump to be quiet.
The judge's warnings to the former president about his incendiary rhetorir had little to no effect. Just hours after he had sat deferentially in the New York courtroom, Mr Trump held a press conference at his resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he again blasted district attorney Bragg, and went even further, this time complaining about the judge and the judge's daughter.
The speech indicated that Mr Trump would likely not temper his words when it came to this case. That has left the judge with a series of difficult questions: Does he now attempt to impose a gag order on the former president? And what would such an order look like in these unique circumstances? Is it fair to restrict a presidential candidate's speech on a matter that he believes is central to his next campaign? And what would be the penalty if Mr Trump, as he is wont to do, continues to let loose?
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Keep a civil tongue.