Judge Juan Merchan found Donald Trump in contempt on Tuesday for violating a gag order nine times. Each violation incurred a $1,000 fine, and the judge cautioned Trump that further violations could result in jail time.
Manhattan prosecutors had requested the judge hold Trump in contempt for allegedly violating the order, which prohibits him from discussing witnesses and jurors.
Judge Merchan, under state law, could have fined Trump up to $1,000 per violation or sentenced him to up to 30 days in jail, or both. The state recommended fines and the removal of offending posts, explicitly stating they were not yet seeking incarceration. However, the judge warned Trump that jail time could be considered if violations persisted.
Trump was ordered to pay fines by the end of the week and remove specified posts from his social media and campaign website by Tuesday afternoon.
Merchan acknowledged the limitation of the $1,000 fine per violation, suggesting it might not be a significant deterrent for a wealthy defendant like Trump. He emphasized that he may need to resort to jail as a more serious punishment if violations continued willfully.
The judge’s ruling followed arguments from prosecutors about Trump’s social media and website posts violating the gag order, particularly citing a post quoting Jesse Watters that allegedly breached the order’s terms regarding jurors and witnesses.
Trump’s lawyer argued against the violations, claiming some posts were not direct violations or were reposts. However, Judge Merchan dismissed these arguments, noting that certain posts, including the one quoting Jesse Watters, clearly breached the order.
This ruling comes amid ongoing legal proceedings where Trump faces charges related to falsifying business records and continues to maintain his innocence.
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