Donald Trump held in contempt for violating gag order in New York trial

Donald Trump was held in contempt by Justice Juan Merchan Tuesday morning for social media posts and other statements the former president made that violated a gag order imposed in his Manhattan criminal case.

The judge ordered Trump to pay a $9,000 fine — $1,000 for each violation. And he warned Trump that additional violations could land him in jail.

“Defendant violated the Order by making social media posts about known witnesses pertaining to their participation in this criminal proceeding and by making public statements about jurors in this criminal proceeding,” Merchan wrote in his Tuesday decision.

Though Trump’s lawyers had argued that several of the posts in question were “reposts” or remarks made by other people, and therefore shouldn’t be considered Trump’s own commentary, Merchan rejected that argument, finding that “a repost, with or without commentary by the Defendant, is in fact a statement of the Defendant.”

“Defendant curated the posts at issue and then took the necessary steps to publish the posts on his Truth Social account and on his campaign website,” Merchan wrote. “In doing so, he endorsed the posts with one purpose in mind — to maximize viewership and to communicate his stamp of approval.”
https://www.politico.com/live-updat...riminal-trial/trump-held-in-contempt-00155109

Don got off easy, as always. He deserves jail time. It's the only thing that will make him change his behavior.

 

The gag order is unconstitutional. If Cohen can take to Twitter and trash Trump, then Trump has the right to publicly defend himself.

 

This just makes him look like even MORE of a VICTIM
Good stuff!
I can't wait until it falls flat on their smug little faces.

 

9k, he spends that much on ketchup each year.

 

“The gag order is unconstitutional”

In your opinion, the gag order is unconstitutional, but is it?

 

Why just him?

 

Why just him, what?

 

Fascism must have a select media outlet to mold the ignorant! Think about it! View it, it's in your face front and center today!

 

Yes, it is. If there's going to be a gag order, it should apply to everyone: prosecutors, defense, witnesses anyone connected to the case. Not just the defendant.

 

Have prosecutors, defense, witnesses anyone connected to the case, posted on social media about known witnesses pertaining to their participation in this criminal proceeding and made public statements about jurors in this criminal proceeding? If the answer is yes, then I agree these people should also be held accountable.

 

Yes

 

This is money well spent for his campaign. Ironically, according to Bragg's prosecution this needs to be paid out of campaign funds and not his personal account. This only helps Trump. I wonder if he'll add a charge if he makes the ledger and check out to "legal expense" without telling Trump what it should have stated instead. Just keep the ridiculous charges coming. I'm sure Trump is loving the free publicity and more proof of weaponization of government against him and by proxy his political followers who demand to hear from their candidate.

 

Can you provide any examples?

 

Is there a known case, or a higher court ruling that rendered a gag order unconstitutional, because it didn’t applied to everyone connected to the case?

 

Irrelevant

 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/michael-cohen-cashing-trump-trial-tiktok-livestreams-109784178

 

Ironic

 

Your link provides no info on whether or not Cohen has made specific comments about known witnesses pertaining to their participation in this criminal proceeding or made public statements about jurors.

 

Every legal opinion is opinion and not shared by all lawyers. A bunch of lawyers consider it unconstitutional. To gag only the defendant is unconstitutional. If the judge had gagged everybody then it would have been constitutional according to those lawyers. I tend to agree with them. Fair play is strong American concept.

 

Why is he immune from a gag order, anybody else would be jailed.

 

Because nobody else in the trial is gagged.

 

Again, anybody else would be jailed.

 

Why is he only one that has a gag order?

 

Why do you believe he's the only one permitted from talking about witnesses and jurors?

 

Irrelevant. If Cohen can make public comments, then Trump can do the same. If Cohen make comments about Trump, Trump has the right to respond.