Donald Trump, the former president, broke the gag order during the trial for the second time this week, according to New York County Judge Juan Merchan, who found him in criminal contempt and threatened to put him in jail if he broke it again.
For a lone infraction, Merchan fined Trump $1,000. In the past, Merchan penalized Trump for nine infractions. Prior to the most recent directive, Trump committed his tenth act of disobedience, failing to follow it. Trump did not go too far following the initial gag order decision.
Merchan informed the court, “This court will have to consider a prison penalty.” “I have work to complete at the end of the day. Preserving the integrity of the legal system is a portion of that work.
A “direct attack on the rule of law” is what the infraction is. According to court reporters, he continued to say, “I cannot allow that to continue.”
Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, claimed that Trump had committed four infractions, including remarks against Michael Cohen and David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher. Speaking to witnesses, according to prosecutors, violated Merchan’s gag order.
Before entering the courthouse, Trump told reporters, “It is a political farce.” “It is meddling in elections… This is an absurd circumstance. Not just, unfair, but we are going to fight.”
Under the terms of the gag order, Trump is not allowed to publicly discuss witnesses who are going to testify, attorneys other than Bragg, staff members of the court and the District Attorney, or the families of any staff members, “if those statements are made with the intent to materially interfere with… counsel’s or staff’s work” on the case. It also includes prospective jurors.
According to a recent CNN survey, a growing percentage of Americans think that Trump’s criminal prosecution has no bearing on his suitability for reelection, with just 13% of respondents thinking that Trump is receiving the same treatment as other “criminal defendants.”
According to a CNN survey, most Americans do not think Trump’s criminal trial will result in a just verdict. According to a Tuesday AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey, just around one-third of American citizens think Trump committed any crimes in connection with the case.
