Judge Juan Melchán said Monday he would consider a prison sentence for former President Trump if he continues to violate a gag order imposed in an unprecedented criminal trial.
Marchan imposed a gag order on Trump before the trial began, prohibiting him from making public statements about potential participants, lawyers in cases other than Bragg, or court or prosecutor’s office officials, or from speaking to others. President Trump was ordered to instruct. Or a staff member’s family.
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Former President Donald Trump (left) attends the first day of his trial in Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. Judge Juan Melchan (right) poses for a photo in his New York courtroom on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP, AP, via POOL/AP)
Mr. Bragg and prosecutors have alleged more than a dozen violations of the gag order, and have already fined the former president $9,000 for these violations.
Machan on Monday fined the former president $1,000 for the additional violations, but said it was “clear” that a $1,000 fine per violation was ineffective.
The filing states that President Trump “is hereby notified that future violations of any lawful order shall be punishable by imprisonment, where appropriate and justifiable.”
Former President Donald Trump, along with his attorney Tod Blanche, appear during Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan state court in 2016 for falsifying business records to hide money paid to hush porn star Stormy Daniels.・Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo makes his opening statement during the hearing before Judge Marchan. This courtroom sketch on April 22, 2024 in New York City, USA. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
Mr Machan said on Monday that the court would now have to consider a “prison sentence”.
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“The last thing I want to think about is prison,” Marchan said. “You’re a former president and possibly the next president.”
But Marchan said he was concerned about Trump’s “step forward,” pointing to Secret Service protection.
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“I have never forgotten the magnitude of that decision,” Marchan said. “Your continued and willful violation of the court order… constitutes a direct assault… and cannot be allowed to continue… This cannot be allowed to continue.”
Mr. Trump and his lawyers say the gag order violates not only his First Amendment rights, but also the First Amendment rights of his supporters, and the former president and would-be Republican presidential nominee is banned. He argued that he should not be bound by oral orders.
