Silencing Donald Trump is not easy and even less so with fines of $1,000. The former president of the United States has a fortune of several billion dollars, so financial sanctions for contempt affect him little. Trump has time and again disobeyed Judge Juan Merchan’s orders that he not insult or question the parties in the criminal trial to which he is being subjected in New York. This Monday, after committing contempt for the tenth time, the judge gave a strong warning: if he continues to fail to comply with his orders, he can send him to jail, even if it is “the last thing” he would want to do.
“Defendant is hereby advised that, if appropriate and justified, future violations of his lawful orders will be punishable by imprisonment,” reads a five-page ruling released by the judge.
In his resolution, Merchan recalls that contempt is punishable by a fine of no more than $1,000, imprisonment of no more than 30 days, or both penalties at the discretion of the court. “However, given that this is now the tenth time that this court has found defendant in criminal contempt,” it continues, “it is evident that monetary fines have not been and will not be sufficient to deter defendant from violating this court’s legal orders. court”.
During the trial session, Merchan issued the warning directly to Trump – sitting in the dock – who shook his head and crossed his arms. “It appears that $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent. Therefore, from now on, this court will have to consider a prison sentence,” the judge said before the jurors entered the room, according to the Associated Press. Trump’s statements, the judge added, “threaten to interfere with the proper administration of justice and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law,” he argued. “I can’t allow that to continue,” he said, even acknowledging that it is the last thing he would want to do.
“Mr. Trump, it is important that you understand that the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. “You are the former president of the United States and possibly also the next president,” the judge told him this Monday.
“The magnitude of this decision is not lost on me, but at the end of the day I have a job to do. So as much as I do not want to impose a jail sentence, I want you to understand that I will do so if necessary and appropriate,” he continued, noting that part of his job is to “protect the dignity” of the judicial system.
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The judge already gave a first warning about the possibility of imprisoning Trump last week, when he imposed nine $1,000 fines on him for contempt for nine comments on social media that, in his opinion, violated his gag or silence orders to prevent criticize jurors, witnesses and judicial officials. Trump had to delete seven comments on his platform, Truth Social, and two on his campaign website.
On this occasion, prosecutors accused Trump of four new violations of the gag orders issued by the judge, but the resolution indicates that the contempt is only proven “beyond a reasonable doubt” in one of the statements, regarding the jury and how it was selected. “Not only did the defendant call into question the integrity and, therefore, the legitimacy of this process, but he once again raised fears for the safety of the jurors and their loved ones,” the resolution says.
The violation occurred in an interview given on April 22 to the Real America’s Voice television channel, in which Trump criticized the speed with which the jury was chosen and claimed that it was full of Democrats. “That jury was chosen very quickly: 95% Democrats,” Trump said then. “The area is majority Democratic. You think of it as a purely Democratic area. “It is a very unfair situation,” he stated.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments made to smother potentially embarrassing stories. Prosecutors say Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, reimbursed Michael Cohen, the former president’s former lawyer, for payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and gave Cohen bonuses and additional payments. Prosecutors allege those transactions were falsely recorded in company records as legal expenses.
Cohen, who pleaded guilty to crimes related to the payments, is now the prosecution’s star witness as the trial enters its third week of testimony. He also remains to be seen if he finally declares, as he has assured that he would, Trump himself, who maintains that he is innocent.
Among the witnesses who have testified so far are a tabloid magazine editor and friend of Trump who bought the rights to several sordid stories about the then-presidential candidate to prevent them from coming to light. Also a Los Angeles lawyer who negotiated agreements to silence both Daniels and the model. Playboy Karen McDougal.
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