NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 11: Former U.S. President Donald Trump and his lawyers Christopher Kise and Alina Habba attend the closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on January 11, 2024 in New York City. Trump won't make his own closing arguments after his lawyers objected to Judge Arthur Engoron's insistence that Trump stay within the bounds of "relevant, material facts that are in evidence" of the case. Prosecutors allege that Trump and his two sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump conspired to inflate his net worth on financial statements provided to banks and insurers to secure loans. New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued seeking $370 million in damages. (Photo by Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images)
Judge Juan Merchan, who oversees former President Donald Trump‘s hush-money case, found him guilty of violating his gag order for the 10th time. On Monday, Mechan ordered Trump to pay a fine of $1,000 for verbally attacking the jury in his criminal trial.
Trump’s gag order prohibits the former president from insulting witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff or the judge’s family. However, the order does not bar Trump from attacking Merchan or Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg. Trump has pushed back on the gag order, citing a violation of his First Amendment rights.
For each of the ten violations, Trump must pay $1,000, for a total of $10,000. Prosecutors stated they delayed giving Trump jail time to “minimize disruptions” to the trial.
“Your continued violations constitute a direct attack on the rule of law,” Merchan stated.
Trump violated his gag order through public posts to his Truth Social account and during an interview on Real America’s Voice, a conservative channel. Trump claimed his jury selection was “unfair” due to Manhattan being a Democratic area.
“That jury was picked so fast—95% Democrats. The area’s mostly all Democrat. You think of it as a—just purely Democrat area. It’s a very unfair situation, that I can tell you.”
Prosecutor Chris Conroy responded to Trump’s claims. “He was on the media, and he used his platform there to criticize the seated jury in this case. There’s no inference needed . . . By talking about the jury at all, he places . . . the process in jeopardy.”
However, Trump was able to snag a partial win as Merchan ruled that some violations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Week three of Trump’s trials concluded last Friday with former White House press secretary Hope Hicks delivering an emotional testimony.
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