Former President Donald Trump made an appearance at his trial in Manhattan criminal court on May 2. During the proceedings, the judge listened to arguments concerning the prosecution’s request to impose a fine on Trump for violating a gag order in the case.
Former President Donald Trump made an appearance at his trial in Manhattan criminal court on May 2. During the proceedings, the judge considered arguments regarding the prosecution’s request to impose a fine on Trump for violating a gag order in the case.
Former President Donald Trump has been found in contempt of court and has been fined $1,000 for disregarding a gag order that was put in place to safeguard witnesses and jurors involved in his criminal trial in Manhattan.
During the delivery of his order from the bench, Judge Juan Merchan of New York issued a stern warning to Trump. He made it clear that if the violations persist, he will take the unprecedented step of putting a former president and presumptive GOP nominee in jail.
Merchan expressed his dissatisfaction with the current penalty of up to $1,000 per violation, stating that it is not effectively deterring offenders. He even contemplated the possibility of imposing jail time as a more impactful sanction. However, he acknowledged that such a decision could disrupt the ongoing proceedings.
Merchan expressed concern about the logistics involved in accommodating court officers, Secret Service agents, and other personnel required for such a measure. However, he emphasized that despite these concerns, he remains committed to carrying out his duties.
With his son Eric Trump present, President Trump sat at the bench, arms crossed, as the judge delivered his order.
Merchan stated in his written order that monetary fines have proven ineffective in deterring the defendant from violating the court’s lawful orders. This is the 10th time that the court has found the defendant in criminal contempt, spanning three separate motions.
The prosecution only fined Trump for one of the four alleged violations, which was his statement claiming that the jury is “95% Democrats.”
What did prosecutors argue Trump did?
During the criminal trial of Trump, prosecutors recently requested Judge Merchan to impose a fine of $4,000 on him. This amount corresponds to $1,000 for each of the four statements that were found to be in violation of the court order. Furthermore, the prosecutors also urged the judge to hold Trump in contempt of court for the second time. The arguments regarding this violation were presented in a hearing on May 2.
During the trial, the prosecution highlighted statements made by Trump in different media outlets, including podcasts, local interviews, and media appearances. They specifically referenced Trump’s comment about David Pecker’s testimony in the National Enquirer, describing it as “nice.” The prosecution argued that this remark could potentially act as a signal to future witnesses, indicating that the former president is closely observing and ready to provide his commentary.
Prosecutors argued that Trump’s comment about “95% of the jurors being Democrats” creates an air of menace and amplifies the situation. They also highlighted two other allegations, including comments about Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for Trump who is expected to be a witness in the future.
Last week, the court ordered Trump to pay a fine of $9,000 and delete seven objectionable posts from his Truth Social account. Additionally, he was instructed to remove two posts from his campaign website that were found to be in violation of the gag order. Judge Merchan, in his ruling, emphasized that the court will not tolerate any further deliberate violations of its lawful orders. He made it clear that, if necessary and appropriate, the court may resort to imposing a punitive measure such as imprisonment. In essence, Trump was reminded that incarceration is a potential consequence.
Weeks before the trial commenced, Merchan imposed a gag order on Trump, explicitly prohibiting him from publicly discussing potential jurors, court personnel, or the family members of staff.
The 2016 presidential election brought forth accusations against Trump, the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee. He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records with the alleged intent of advancing other crimes. Trump maintains his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Throughout the trial, the jury has been presented with testimonies from various witnesses, including former National Enquirer publisher Pecker, First Republic Bank banker Gary Farro, long-time Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff, and attorney Keith Davidson, who represented two women involved in the case.
On May 2, Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, asserted that Trump continues to express himself in self-defense and in defense of his presidential campaign.
Blanche emphasized the importance of a presidential candidate not resorting to repeatedly saying “no comment.”
Trump has contested the gag order, attempting unsuccessfully to postpone the trial as he battled against it. The decision of an appeals court judge to uphold the gag order was made less than a week before jury selection commenced.
In his campaign to become the next president, Trump strongly contends that this order unconstitutionally restricts his political speech. However, Merchan, in the ruling that enforced the gag order, dismissed Trump’s claim that his statements “constitute core political speech.”
Merchan and District Attorney Alvin Bragg are not covered by the current gag order. It’s worth noting that both of them have also faced the former president’s criticism.
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