FILE- In this May 21, 2020 file photo, Michael Cohen arrives at his Manhattan apartment in New York after being furloughed from prison because of concerns over the coronavirus. A judge ordered the release from prison, Thursday, July 23 of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, saying he believes the government retaliated against him for writing a book about Trump. Cohen sued federal prison officials including Attorney General William Barr on Monday, July 20 saying he was returned to an Otisville, New York, prison to stop him from publishing a tell-all book about his experiences with Trump. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s former lawyer has been released from prison after a federal judge ruled that a move to revoke his home confinement was retaliatory. Michael Cohen was released from a prison in Otisville, New York on Friday after U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ordered him freed on Thursday. Cohen had sued the government saying he was ordered back to prison on July 9 because he was writing a book about Trump. Hellerstein said Cohen’s First Amendment rights were violated by the decision. The Bureau of Prisons said Cohen’s book plans played no role in his reimprisonment.
