(FixThisNation.com) – If former President Donald Trump persists in violating the gag order foisted upon him by the hush-money Manhattan trial, he could face jail time, Judge Juan Merchan stated.
Merchan made his statements on Monday, nearly a month after the gag order he imposed on the former President. The gag order directs Trump not to make public comments or statements about trial witnesses, court staff, District Attorney staff, family members of those staff, and counsel in the case, with the only exception being Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Since the gag order’s implementation, which started before the trial commenced, Bragg and prosecutors have alleged Trump violated the order over a dozen times, resulting in the former President being subject to $9,000 in fines.
On Monday Merchan’s $1,000 fine was accompanied by a harsher threat. The Judge placed the former President on “notice,” saying that if it is “appropriate and warranted,” if Trump violated the gag order in the future, those violations would be “punishable by incarceration.”
Merchan made the statement claiming it was “clear” that the $1,000 fines hadn’t been a strong enough deterrent for Trump, adding that as the trial continues any future violations would require a “jail sentence” to be considered.
He added that jail was the “last thing” he wanted to consider, given Trump’s Secret Service protection, claiming the “magnitude” of giving Trump jail time wasn’t “lost on him.”
The former President and most likely GOP presidential nominee and his defense attorneys have argued that the gag order infringes on his First Amendment rights and the rights of Trump’s supporters and, therefore, Trump shouldn’t be bound by it.
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