Judge Again Finds Donald Trump In Contempt And Warns Of Jail Time For Violating Gag Order

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Deadline

May 6, 2024 6:41am


A judge again found Donald Trump in contempt of court for violations of a partial gag order. Trump was fined $1,000 over a statement he made attacking the jury in the case. The judge in Trump’s hush money case, Juan Merchan, also warned the former president of possible jail time.

“The last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” Merchan said. “You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well.” To jail him, Merchan said, “would be disruptive to the proceedings,” adding that it would pose a challenge as well for the Secret Service.

“The magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me,” the judge said. “But at the end of the day, I have a job to do.” He told Trump that his “continued, willful violations” of the gag order “constitute a direct attack on the rule of law. I cannot allow that to continue.”

Merchan fined Trump $9,000 last week for nine violations of the gag order, which restricts the former president from commenting on potential witnesses, court staff, the judge’s family and most members of the prosecution team.

Read more: https://deadline.com/2024/05/trump-contempt-gag-order-hush-money-trial-1235905268/

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Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/DOcontempt_5-6-24FINAL.pdf


Article updated.

Original article -

May 6, 2024 6:41am


A judge again found Donald Trump in contempt of court for violations of a partial gag order. Trump was fined $1,000 and ordered to remove a Truth Social post by 2:15 p.m. ET today.

The judge in Trump’s hush money case, Juan Merchan, also warned the former president of possible jail time.

“The last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” Merchan said. “You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well.”

Merchan fined Trump $9,000 last week for nine violations of the gag order, which restricts the former president from commenting on potential witnesses, court staff, the judge’s family and most members of the prosecution team.

More to come.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. He's dishonored the office of the President. Just jail him for 24 hours per violation.

[Attilatheblond]

20. At this point, I'm betting his Secret Service detail might be happy to have in locked up for a spell

He can't be fun to be around on his best days, and his best days are far FAR behind him.

[Easterncedar]

2. Warn him again, judge!

Warn him like hell

[pfitz59]

3. Trump would need a Ghost Writer to scribble about his troubles.

The man is illiterate. 'My troubles were bigly. Mean people wished me silent'.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. Reminder -- transcripts and evidence available at nycourts.gov ...

https://ww2.nycourts.gov/press/index.shtml

[orleans]

5. possible jail time empty threats nt

[azureblue]

6. IOW - Trump is special

and above the law. Any of us would have been jailed at the the first violation. Now Trump knows the judge is a wuss, the fines are minuscule, so he will continue to violate the order.

Judge, stop making a mockery of the "All Men are equal under the law". Put his fat ass in jail for 3 days. He can stay is solitary where he can be guarded, and brought to court in color coordinated orange jumpsuits. That is how any of us would be treated, for far less.

[groundloop]

7. Damned straight..... Don't make threats you don't intend to follow through on.

This is doing nothing other than reinforcing 45*'s notion that he's above the law.

[Bengus81]

37. Yep...over and over and over....now up to TEN TIMES. But hey...ONE MORE TIME TRUMP!!

Oh sure............

[Think. Again.]

8. Thank you...

...to be honest, I find it offensive that the judge outright said that because of the prestige of trump's previous employment and propects for future employment, he is treating trump differently than other citizens would be treated.

Not good.

[Katinfl]

19. My point exactly!

When I heard what the judge said I was livid. He specifically pointed out why he is being treated different. Equal under the law my ass. Could he have said it more clearly????

[Bengus81]

38. Yep...the LAST thing that Merchan should have said

Trump is just a citizen like everyone else. His endless disregard for the Court and the Judge is what everyone expected. But now AGAIN like ALWAYS with Trump it's being normalized.

[Bengus81]

14. Yep...playing the hell out of Merchan. Trump knows it and LOVES it.....

He was WARNED again last week,that should have been the final warning and then JAIL.

[onenote]

29. As the judge explained the conduct at issue in today's order

Occurred before last weeks order was handed down — and was not the subject of a request for anything more than an additional monetary penalty. Under those circumstances the judge would have been skating on thin ice to jail Trump for conduct occurring before the warning was given.

I get that folks here aren’t going to be dispassionate about Trump, but fortunately we have a judge who is making all the right moves.

[onenote]

28. You couldn't be more wrong.

Only someone charged with a violent crime who was engaging in overtly threatening behavior in court before the jury might — and I emphasize might — have faced a jail term for contempt under Judiciary Law 750. Judges typically apply an escalation approach where jail is held out as a potential punishment until lesser sanctions have failed. The judge issued one order covering a series on actions raised by the prosecution in a single motion where they did not ask for or pursue any sanctions beyond a monetary penalty. Before the judge acted the prosecution brought a new motion citing four more actions only one of which the court found to be a violation of the gag order.
Again the prosecution, as would be expected in most cases, only asked for the monetary penalty.

I don’t know if you’re an attorney and if so what your experience is, but what you’re suggesting is not that Trump be treated the same as the typical defendant who violates a gag order outside the courtroom, but rather that he be singled out for different , harsher treatment.

[Think. Again.]

39. Nope, judges throw abrasive defendents in jail...

...for contempt all the time.

Edit to add: here's a quick example...

https://m.

[Miguelito Loveless]

9. Trump is never going to jail

The judiciary just doesn't have the stomach to send a rich, White man to jail.

[NJCher]

10. First laugh of the day award goes to you

Love it.

[myohmy2]

11. talk, talk, talk...

...what a fuckin' joke of a system...

...trump wants to go to jail, so send him there...

...and start to seriously deal with the greatest threat our democracy has ever faced...

...useless...

[iluvtennis]

12. He needs to go to jail - it can be on a Wednesday as trial is dark on Wednesdays. No disruption to the trial

as TSF could be back in court on Thursday morning after spending a day & night in jail.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. The third offense goddamn well better be jail time. If any of us were found in contempt ten times,

we'd all of us spend time in jail.

The arrogant piece of shit needs to start learning some real-life lessons that when he's outside of his own company, there are consequences for his actions.

I don't care how fucking difficult it is for the secret service, or that he's a former president. In fact, as a former president, he ought to be hammered even more.

Put a dunce hat on him, cuff him, take him to a prison, give him a good (and non-erotic) spanking, and send him to bed with no supper. Act like a child, get treated like a child.

[moonshinegnomie]

15. th ereson the judge didnt lock hom up

this new contempt charge was for statemants made before he was held in contempt last time.
If he shoots his mouth off again (and he will) i expect he will be locked up (and should be)

[Harker]

16. When's lunch? n/t

[twodogsbarking]

17. What will TSF do next? Stay tuned.

[republianmushroom]

18. Trump warned again," Warns Of Jail Time For Violating Gag Order", Chuckle, chuckle.

How many warnings is this ? I lost count .

trump don't you dare do this again, I'm warning you, for the umpteen time, and this time I'm more serious than the last few times.

That old myth, "No one is above the law", except trump. Chuckle, chuckle.

39 months and counting (includes foot dragging)

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

21. Lock him up!!!!

[JoseBalow]

22. He means it this time!

[Dave Bowman]

25. "Your mother was a hamster,

and your father smelt of elderberries."

[PSPS]

23. ... said the terrified judge, cowering in the corner. What a joke the "justice system" is.

[Dave Bowman]

24. Totally disgusting.

Not even a slap on the wrist.

[Chainfire]

26. That would be like fining me a dime, that my buddy will front me anyway.

Get his damn attention. Lock him up overnight and see if it works. You and I would have already sampled the jail cusine. Our founders said that it was self-evident that all men are created equal. Orwell told us about people like Trump who are more equal than others. I am sick of his special treatment.

[EndlessWire]

27. I think this Judge

talks the talk and walks the walk. He is forthright, and says exactly what the deal is straight to Donald's (and his attorney's) face. He's fed up and, in language that Donald can understand, he told him:
1) I know what you are doing;
2) FAFO;
3) I don't care who you are;
4) I don't care what the Secret Service does;
5) Jail is imminent.

Everyone, including the not-so-secret service, has been warned. You can see it coming.

And, in order to put Donald in his place, it would surely be helpful to have the Prosecutor request jail time this next time. Donald has used up all his courtesy gag order fluffs. Try Merchan on the arm, Donald, and enjoy your stay in the jail they have right back there. I think that's what will happen. An overnighter.

The Judge can't give him more than 30 days a pop, anyway. Trial will be over. I think he could still serve a contempt, but the whole purpose is to protect the jury. And, he'll stink up the jail. He'd have to be transferred.

I think that Donald needs a dose of reality. Sure sounds good when you're bragging about being a martyr, but this doesn't pass muster, anyway. A martyr for screwing other women when your wife is pregnant and is a new Momma? What kind of hero is that? Meanwhile, sample your loss of freedom, Donald, so you're not surprised when you go to jail for an extra special long time. Secret Service will long be gone...

People are ignorant when they feel that they can do jail time oh so easy. It's always those that have never been before. Time to shackle his tiny hands and show him what it's all about.

I make no secret of the fact that I think the best interest of the nation is to have Donald Two Scoops flee the jurisdiction. He needs to go to jail so he understands.

[oldsoftie]

32. I doubt the Judge has any authority to overrule the Secret Service.

The worst that will ever happen to him is a few hours in a holding cell at the courthouse where the SS would also be.
I could be wrong but I give it about a 2% chance.

[Warpy]

30. TFG won't think there are any consequences until he faces them

So far the fines have been chump change to him. Threats of jail have been empty.

Not until he spends that first night in the can will it get real to him.

[oldsoftie]

31. He WANTS it because he knows it wont be "real" jail & he can profit from it.

This shit is beyond ridiculous. He knows he'll get a bump if he claims to be in jail
I'll say it for the 100th time, HE WILL NEVER SPEND A DAY IN AN ACTUAL JAIL/PRISON. It simply wont happen due to his secret service protection.

[Novara]

33. No, he doesn't want jail - today showed that.

If he did, he'd have blown through the gag order when they broke for lunch today. Reporters were yelling questions at him about the gag order, perfectly setting him up, and contrary to his attorney's protestations that he can't say nothing when confronted, he gave the equivalent of a "no comment" answer. It showed how much he really doesn't want to go to jail, no matter how much he blusters about it.

No. If he wanted to go to jail to be a martyr, he'd have done it today. He was given the perfect opportunity and he didn't take it. Deep down he's scared shitless. And he knows this judge is serious.

Most legal experts think that Merchan is serious about this when the other judges were not. I don't know what to think but I'll believe it when I see it. I doubt he can really keep his mouth shut for good. Today showed he thinks the judge is serious and he's scared as hell to find out.

[oldsoftie]

34. I agree with believing it when I see it. I jut dont think he can hold out

I think he's going to say or post something else at some point because he's just like a 9 yr old

[Novara]

35. You insult 9 year olds

Most of them have more self control than he has.

He's more like a toddler on meth.

[oldsoftie]

36. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh lord.