New York: The New York judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Tuesday fined the former president for defying a gag order and warned that further violations could result in jail time.
Judge Juan Merchan held Trump in contempt on Tuesday for violating the court’s directive, warning that continued defiance could lead to severe consequences, including the possibility of jail time.
The ruling stems from Trump’s public attacks on witnesses, jurors, court staff, and their relatives, despite the explicit prohibition outlined in the gag order. Merchan imposed fines of $1,000 for each of the nine specific violations, emphasizing the seriousness of Trump’s actions.
As part of the penalty, Trump has been instructed to immediately remove seven “offending posts” from his Truth Social account and two from a campaign website. The judge underscored the urgency of compliance, setting a deadline for the removal of the posts by Tuesday afternoon.
Moreover, the judge warned Trump that further breaches of the gag order would not be tolerated. The judge asserted the court’s authority to impose more severe penalties, including the possibility of incarceration, if Trump persists in flouting the lawful directives.
“Defendant is hereby warned 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,” Merchan admonished.
