The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York held him in contempt of court for violating a gag order for the 10th time, warning on Monday that future infractions could bring jail time.
Judge Juan Merchan said Trump violated his order on April 22 when he commented on the political makeup of the jury.
"That jury was picked so fast — 95% Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat," Trump said in an interview with the network Real America's Voice. "It's a very unfair situation, that I can tell you."
In his written order, Merchan said Trump's comments "not only called into question the integrity, and therefore the legitimacy of these proceedings, but again raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones."
He imposed a fine of $1,000, the maximum allowed under state law. Last week, Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for nine violations in posts on social media and his campaign website. He said Monday that the fines were not having their intended deterrent effect, and that Trump could be jailed for future violations.
"In the future, this court will have to consider a jail sanction if it is recommended," Merchan stated from the bench as the trial resumed on Monday.
He expressed that putting Trump in jail was "the last resort," as it would disrupt the trial and pose challenges for the Secret Service and court officers responsible for safeguarding the former president.
"I am fully aware of the gravity of such a decision," he remarked. However, the violations of the gag order "directly undermine the rule of law — I cannot allow that to persist."
Trump is currently facing 34 charges of falsifying business records and has entered a plea of not guilty.
The Restraining Order on Trump
Merchan imposed the initial gag order back in March, before the trial commenced. This order prohibited Trump from making comments about potential witnesses, prospective jurors, court personnel, prosecution attorneys, and other individuals associated with the case. Subsequently, the judge extended this order to include his own family members after Trump criticized his daughter for her consulting work with Democratic candidates and progressive causes.
The gag order does not restrict Trump from criticizing Merchan or Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney.
Merchan determined that Trump had breached the order in nine out of 10 instances raised by prosecutors in previous motions last week. In the most recent ruling, he deliberated on four additional alleged violations, concluding that only one had transgressed his gag order.
The judge ruled on several instances where former President Trump made comments about key witnesses in the case. The judge found that some of the comments did not constitute violations, considering them as protected political speech made in response to political attacks.
However, Trump's interview with Real America's Voice was deemed to violate the order, as he discussed details about the jury selection process, which was prohibited by the court.
In a previous ruling, the judge had warned Trump of potential jail time for future violations. While he did not order jail time for the latest violation, he reiterated the warning to the former President.
"After considering the offensive statement made prior to this Court's Decision of April 30 and the People's request for a monetary fine, the Court has decided to once again impose a fine of $1,000 on the Defendant," the judge stated. "However, given that this is the tenth instance of the Defendant being found in criminal contempt, across three separate motions, it is clear that monetary penalties have not been effective in deterring the Defendant from disobeying this Court's lawful directives."
In his ruling, the judge warned Trump that any future violations of the Court's orders could result in imprisonment.
