Trump fined $1,000 for violating gag order again and threatened with jail time
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Former President Donald Trump has been held in contempt of court and fined $1,000 for violating a gag order aimed at protecting witnesses and jurors in his Manhattan criminal trial.
While handing his order down from the bench, New York Judge Juan Merchan issued a blistering warning to Trump that should the violations continue, he will put him in jail — an unprecedented consequence for a former president and presumptive GOP nominee.
Merchan said that the maximum $1,000 per violation penalty is "not serving as a deterrent," leaving him to consider jail time as a sanction. He noted that "to take that step would be disruptive to these proceedings."
Merchan said he worries about the court officers, Secret Service and various other personnel that would be needed for such a measure, "but at the end of the day, I have a job to do."
Trump sat at the bench with arms crossed, with his son Eric Trump in the room, as the judge handed down his order .
"Because this is now the 10th time that this Court has found Defendant
in criminal contempt, spanning three separate motions, it is apparent that monetary fines have not and will not, suffice to deter Defendant from violating this Court's lawful orders," Merchan said in his written order.
Merchan only fined Trump for one of four alleged violations brought by the prosecution — for a statement claiming the jury is "95% democrats."
What did prosecutors argue Trump did?
Prosecutors in Trump's criminal trial last week asked Merchan to fine him $4,000 — $1,000 for each of four statements — for violating the order and to find Trump in contempt of court for a second time. Merchan heard arguments over the violation in a hearing on May 2.
Prosecutors brought up comments made by Trump in various media outlets including a podcast, local interviews and at media appearances. In one instance, the prosecution pointed to Trump calling National Enquirer David Pecker's testimony "nice," arguing it could serve as a reminder to future witnesses that the former president is watching and willing to comment.
As for Trump's comment that "95% of the jurors are all democrats," prosecutors argued that it "amplifies and creates an air of menace." The two other allegations included comments about former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who is assumed to be a future witness.
Last week, Trump was ordered to pay $9,000 and remove seven offending posts from his Truth Social account, and two posts from his campaign website that Merchan ruled violated the gag order. Merchan warned in that ruling that the court "will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment." In other words, he reminded Trump that jail is a punishment option.
Weeks before the trial began, Merchan issued a gag order on Trump that specifically bars him from making or directing others to make public statements about potential jurors, court staff or family members of staff.
Trump, the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee, is accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records with the intent to further other crimes ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The jury has already heard from several witnesses including former National Enquirer publisher Pecker, First Republic Bank banker Gary Farro, longtime Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff and lawyer Keith Davidson, who represented two women at the center of the trial.
On May 2, Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche argued that Trump is still speaking out in self-defense and also in defense of his run for president.
"He can't just say no comment repeatedly when he's running for president," Blanche said.
Trump has challenged the gag order, including a failed attempt to delay the trial while he fought it. An appeals court judge's decision to keep the gag order in place came less than a week before jury selection began.
Trump has argued that this order is unconstitutionally limiting his political speech as he campaigns to be the next president. In the ruling that put the gag order in place, Merchan rejected Trump's assertion that his statements "constitute core political speech."
The current gag order does not cover Merchan or District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Both have also been recipients of the former president's ire.
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Call Trump what you will, either 'scofflaw' or 'habitual recidivist' fits.
I think Judge Merchan has just been called.
Either put Trump in jail or get off the pot.
yeah, trump could appear in court for the rest of the trial wearing an orange jumpsuit for his moronic supporters...
Does he still own Trump Tower? If so, why not just send him there with an ankle bracelet instead of going to the expense of locking him up at Rikers Island?
yeah. [removed]
[✘] what happened to tradition? republicans are big on tradition. lock him up, and let him experience the many initiation rites into prison culture, while he shakes down the suckers on the outside for more cash. he can start another prisoner-patriot choir in NY with his new friends, play the musical recordings at his rallies, and sell the CD's.
Seems the major issue with our judicial is all threat and no action. I'm not happy at all with the way Garland has handled Trump's indictments.
The law should throw Trump in jail or stop talking about it. They look weak.
Amen!
Do it or STFU already.
That's because they have a very week case.
Putting Trump in jail would show the judge is biased against him and would be an awful precedent that will ultimately hurt the Dems.
Trump keeps pushing the envelope. If he is incarcerated it would be due to the judge running out of options. Blaming everyone but Trump is absurd.
AGREED!
You bet!
But that is bad, right?
Would it not be smarter for Trump (and better for everyone) if he would stop violating specific orders from the judge? Just focus on the trial?
As usual, Trump sets the worst example.
Nah, the sycophants would never let that kind of thing get in the way of their subservience to the DNC.
No, that is good. People will be asking about the legitimacy of the gag order & the trial itself.
Would it not be smarter for Trump (and better for everyone) if he would stop violating specific orders from the judge?
Believe it or not the fact that Trump has been in trial every day and constantly hit with fines has reduced Trump's exposure to making silly statements and open statements that can be twisted and truncated. The dems were hoping to make it all about Trump again. This trial has reduced a lot of Trump's missteps.
Just focus on the trial?
The trial needs to be highlighted for what it is.
As usual, Trump sets the worst example.
As usual, you don't know how bad it all looks.
I see. You applaud Trump lying about the trial and badmouthing everyone. This is the behavior you applaud from someone who would be the next PotUS.
When Trump claims that he cannot testify because of a gag order, this is a good thing to you? Do you think it is good that Trump gets so many gullible people to believe falsehoods because they (inexplicably) believe everything he says?
And exactly in what post did you read this information?
'silly statements'
too bad there aren't any cameras allowed, with one trained on trumps face full time in a split screen...
Hopefully Biden was wearing his.....
Why Everyone Thinks Biden Had an Accident in Front of the Press Corps (townhall.com)
It may have been a Nadler "shart".
That looks like the exact stance a two year old takes as he poops his pants.
The most telling part is watching Jill drop her head and walk away, you can almost hear her say "not me".
Exactly!!! It was a "not again" moment for Jill.
Is reading the comments by you, Sean and Greg.
So nice of your friends to shart all over your articles/seeds.
Upset that people aren't joining in on the leftist circle jerk?
Ignoring the ringmaster that started all of this with post 4.
Typical.
If the trial is not able to continue without his presence, then why can't he be present by means of live video, like political and business meetings between people far apart have been held. In other words, put him in prison but have a TV crew and TV screen and speakers so that a two-way connectivity can take place. He can communicate with his trial lawyers with a two-way phone connection. That will prevent him from continuing contravening the gag orders.
The big problem is that putting him in jail will just be an incentive for the weak-minded to consider him a martyr.
They should STFU and do it already.
This is already a kangaroo court being conducted in a Democrat controlled bastion of stupidity with a predetermined outcome that the judge, DOJ, and DA are doing everything in their power force through.
In a trial like this the jury should be sequestered- instead every day they are allowed to go home and listen to the TDS driven media drool over the case.
You are correct throwing Trump in jail is the worst thing Democrats could do. It would prove what Trump has claimed all along- that this trial is nothing more than a political farce. Where the judge, his daughter (who is making money off of this shit show), the DA, witnesses for prosecution, and everyone but Trump are allowed to comment on the trial.
As for turning Trump into a martyr- Democrats already did that by not holding themselves to the same standards under the law. Hillary, Obama, and Brandon have all skated away free and clear for mishandling classified documents and sharing classified information illegally. When it comes to questioning the elections and fighting election results- Trump takes a back seat to Democrats like Gore, Kerry, Abrams, Hillary, etc. Funny how none of them were ever put on trial.
As for weak minded. That applies to anyone that doesn't see this kangaroo court for what it really is.