Trump hush-money trial judge signals he may fine him again over gag order ( www.reuters.com )

The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial on Thursday signaled he might impose more fines on the former U.S. president for violating a gag order that prohibits him from talking about witnesses and jurors.

Justice Juan Merchan challenged a defense assertion that Trump did not violate the gag order when he said the Manhattan jury in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president was picked from a heavily Democratic area.
“I’m making an argument that he didn’t,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told the judge.

“Well I’m not agreeing with that argument,” Merchan responded without saying whether or when he would impose a fine.

Prosecutors are asking Merchan to fine Trump $4,000 for violating the gag order four times last week. In one instance, the Republican Trump said in a TV interview that "that jury was picked so fast - 95% Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat."

originalucifer Admin ,
originalucifer avatar

the guy just lost 500 million ... how the fuck can anyone look at these rich fucks with a serious face and fine them a few thousand? they have to know the fines are beyond useless. its a joke.

criitz ,

$1000 per instance of contempt is the maximum fine by statute (which yes, means it only punishes the poor). Its possible to be jailed as well, but I think the judge doesn't want to jump to that too eagerly given the circumstances.

MrVilliam ,

How many warnings before it's okay to jail him? I want a number. Not from you because I know you're just spitting facts, but I just want somebody to draw a fucking line in the sand now so we can jail him when he crosses it. Because this is what, 12 counts of contempt he's been fined for? 13? How many times does the average person get fined for this before getting jailed?

Merchan is going way too fucking easy on the orange shit stain.

criitz , (edited )

I think it's ultimately the judge's discretion and there is no line in the sand. I assume he is wary of the public perception, but damn if it doesn't just highlight the fact that there is a separate system of justice for "them" and "us".

athos77 ,

Let's be fair (though I hate to be). The first hearing, at which trump was warned that he was definitely violating the gag order and could go to jail for continued violations, was earlier this week. These particular four infractions occurred last week, so he'll likely just get another fine.

I'm kinda curious whether he'll actually pay his fines.

MrVilliam ,

I didn't know that detail. It's a very relevant piece of context, so thanks.

Does anyone know what the general rules and expectations are for paying this fine to a NY court? It kinda feels to me like there should be a pretty quick due date on that, like a week or something. I get that not everybody will have a couple thousand liquid right away, so I don't expect "by the end of the business day" or anything, but at the same time it is a jailable offense.

dhork ,

I'm kinda curious whether he'll actually pay his fines.

The fines will be paid, but likely reimbursed by some donor, or by hiking the rent that the Secret Service pays at Mar-a-lago or some bullshit like that.

disguy_ovahea ,

It’s not worth the risk of giving the defense cause for mistrial by jumping to jail time too quickly. This has to be as moderate as possible, and Merchan is doing exactly that.

havocpants ,

It’s not worth the risk of giving the defense cause for mistrial by jumping to jail time too quickly

He's already been fined for 9 counts of contempt of court, would prison time after that really count as "going too quickly" ?

disguy_ovahea ,

Yes, it is. It’s standard procedure for the judge to follow the recommendations of the prosecution. Merchan has now set the expectation that further infractions could lead to a jail sentence.

Adalast ,

Fuck a line in the sand, I want to chisel one in the granite. Make that 4 in an enclosed figure around him and if he crosses any of them he gets shot like a puppy or a goat.

disguy_ovahea ,

He didn’t lose $500M, although his bond insurer probably lost $175M. If he loses appeal, he’ll be on the hook for the difference, and never make good on the bond repayment.

originalucifer Admin ,
originalucifer avatar

that bond is invalid, they are going to take properties worth the 500m minus whatever cash he can scrounge up

disguy_ovahea ,

Nah, they accepted it on the terms that the bond insurer can back it with cash.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-civil-fraud-trial-appeal-bond-9c727602732c683fde6edd64879611e7

originalucifer Admin ,
originalucifer avatar

of fucking course. thanks!

kent_eh ,

The law specifically sets the fine at max $1000 per offence. The judge doesn't have the authority to set higher fines.

exanime ,

But he was already fined once, the judge can absolutely escalate to jail time now... But Trump is untouchable apparently, so he keeps imposing meaningless fines

Dkarma ,

This is simply half true.

The judge can jail trump.

kent_eh ,

Sure, but when Trump violates again, that doesn't give the judge anything else to escalate to.

inclementimmigrant ,

https://abcnews.go.com/US/secret-services-prepares-potential-trump-contempt-order-hush/story?id=109542824

Even his detail is thinking he's going to be detained at some point because of his dumbass legal moves.

Scubus ,

"the jurors were picked from a heavily democratic area"

That's... how things are supposed to work

DancingBear ,

I bet he would ease up a bit if he was thrown in jail for a night.

mPony ,

I bet people would give him even more money if they stuck his ass in jail.

Dkarma ,

But he'd still have to sit in jail right?

I don't care if he gets 1 billion in donations if he gets to experience consequences for once.

TropicalDingdong ,

Just put him in the clink to cool off for 72 hours.

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Just take away his phone. He'll be in hell. He posted at 4 am that Sleepy Joe was asleep.

UncleTron ,
@UncleTron@reddthat.com avatar

Right? I'm ridin with Biden, despite the genocide.

TexasDrunk ,

That reminds me of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgCRK25tiFU

archonet ,

someone should tell him that normal people sleep at home, not in a courtroom.

Son_of_dad ,

The reason the judge isn't going gung ho, is because he has to escalate the consequences. You can't just go full force or you risk the trial

Dkarma ,

This is utter nonsense.
Judges can enforce their courts. Period.

Son_of_dad ,

Imagine if you went in for a road ticket, you say something arrogant to the judge, and the judges tosses you in jail. Is that reasonable? Or would a warning or fine be the first step? If you go all the way right away, you're gonna get called biased, you're gonna get everyone in the political side riled up, you put the jury, prosecutors, etc in danger.
I know you wish they could just ignore all that but that can't. This is a special circumstance and a special defendant, of course there's a double standard.

Gonzako ,

Isn't it the 9th gag order on Trump? He'd have been jailed already

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