Former President Donald Trump was found in contempt of a gag order in his New York criminal trial on Tuesday.
Judge Juan Merchan, presiding over the first criminal trial involving a sitting or former president in U.S. history, ordered Donald Trump in contempt of court Tuesday over gag order violations at his hush money trial.
Trump had been barred from attacking witnesses and others associated with the case ahead of the trial. Prosecutors claimed he dismissed the gag order outright and was attacking people in Truth Social posts with no consequence. They presented 10 alleged gag violations. Merchan found they met the burden of proof for 10 of them.
He fined Trump $1,000 for each. Acknowledging $9,000 in fines may not be a deterrent for a man who just posted a $175 million bond in another case, Merchan said the fine amount was not up to the court's discretion.
"It must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment," Merchan wrote, appeasing prosecutors' request for an incarceration warning. They didn't seek jail time in the initial hearing.
Prosecutors had also asked that the questionable Truth Social posts be removed. Merchan ordered all posts ruled to be in violation of the gag order pulled by 2:15 p.m. Tuesday.
Trump has repeatedly condemned the court proceedings and called Merchan a conflicted judge. He denies the charges.
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Merchan previously already denied a defense motion to recuse himself from the case.
