NEW YORK – Former President Trump’s hush money judge found he violated a gag order a 10th time, giving Trump his sternest warning yet, that future violations could carry jail time.
Judge Juan Merchan on Monday ordered Trump to pay $1,000 for attacking jurors in his historic criminal trial, just days after the judge ruled on earlier set of gag order violations.
“Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration,” Merchan wrote.
But the judge handed Trump a partial win, ruling that prosecutors had not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump violated his gag order in three other statements.
The gag order bars Trump from hurling insults at witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff or the judge’s family. It doesn’t bar him from attacking the judge himself or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).
Trump has lambasted the restrictions, asserting it violates his First Amendment rights to respond to political attacks as the presumptive Republican nominee becomes the first former U.S. president to face criminal trial.
The judge has now found Trump breached his gag order a total of 10 times and must pay $1,000 for each violation.
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