Judge in hush money trial threatens Trump with jail after holding him in contempt for violating gag order
www.nbcnews.com
Judge Juan Merchan warned that if Trump continues to violate the order, he could impose “an incarceratory punishment.”

Prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office accused Trump of violating the gag order numerous times since it went into effect.

The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money case on Tuesday held the former president in criminal contempt over a series of posts on Truth Social that he said violated a gag order barring any attacks on jurors and witnesses.

Judge Juan Merchan ruled Trump in contempt for nine violations of his gag order, with a fine of $1,000 for each instance. The order prohibits the former president from “making or directing others to make public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding,” and “public statements about any prospective juror or any juror.”

Merchan had indicated on April 23 that he was not impressed by the arguments from the defense, telling one of Trump’s attorneys that he was “losing all credibility” when he suggested that Trump was exercising caution to comply with the gag order.

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
    25·
    8 months ago

    Correct. Merchan is smart to stay by the book in order to prevent providing cause for Trump’s defense to claim mistrial. The prosecution recommended the maximum fine, which was honored. Merchan then set the grounds for possible jail time for future infractions.

    • azimir
      1·
      8 months ago

      Isn’t there already another gag violation hearing on the docket for violations done while awaiting the first gag violation hearing and/or when we were awaiting the decision from the first violation hearing?

      • Furbag@lemmy.world
        3·
        8 months ago

        Yes. It’s unclear if the remaining 4 infractions that will be heard on Thursday will be grouped with these first 10 or if they will be ruled on separately. My bet is that since these happened before he issued his warning to Trump about future infractions resulting in incarceration, they will also carry the maximum $1000 penalty if found to have been violated. But from today on Trump is officially on notice that any violation of the gag order will be a grounds for imprisonment.