Legal/Law/Criminal Justice and Reform
Judge Finds Trump Violated Gag Order For 10th Time
REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Pool
Judge Juan Merchan found former President Donald Trump violated his gag order for the 10th time, warning next time he would consider imposing a jail sentence.
Merchan previously held Trump in contempt for nine violations of the order, fining him $9,000 and warning future violations could result in jail time. Prosecutors argued during a hearing last week that Trump should be held in contempt for an additional four violations since the start of the trial.
“Going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction,” Merchan said.
Merchan said the “magnitude” of the decision was not lost on him. “But at the end of the day, I have a job to do,” he said.
Trump’s defense attorney Todd Blanche argued last week that Michael Cohen, the prosecution’s star witness, has been “inviting and almost daring” Trump to respond through his continued attacks. The gag order prevents Trump from making statements about witnesses, prosecutors other than the district attorney, court staff and jurors, as well as family members of the staff, district attorney or judge.\
Blanche also argued that the gag order prevented Trump from responding to remarks President Joe Biden made about the trial.
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