Former President Donald Trump Fined for Violating Gag Order in New York Hush-Money Trial
A New York judge has ruled that former US President Donald Trump violated a gag order imposed on him in his criminal hush-money trial. Justice Juan Merchan announced on Tuesday that he would be fining Mr. Trump $9,000, $1,000 for each violation. The gag order prohibits Mr. Trump from attacking court staff, their families, witnesses, and jurors. Prosecutors alleged that Mr. Trump violated the order 10 times. Mr. Trump argues that the order infringes on his free speech rights.
Violation of Gag Order and Legal Proceedings
Justice Merchan sided with prosecutors for all but one of the alleged violations. The former president is scheduled for another hearing on Thursday regarding four additional instances where prosecutors claim he violated the order. The gag order was initially imposed in late March and was later expanded after Mr. Trump attacked the judge’s daughter on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Prosecutors argued that Mr. Trump continued to willfully and flagrantly violate the order during the trial. They requested the judge to hold Mr. Trump in contempt, issue fines, force the deletion of posts from his social media platform and campaign website, and issue a stern warning that further violations could result in imprisonment.
Defense Arguments and Public Opinion
During a hearing on the violations, Mr. Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, argued that his client was not aware that he was violating the order. However, Justice Merchan expressed skepticism and stated that Mr. Blanche was losing credibility with the court. After the court adjourned, Mr. Trump expressed frustration with the gag order, stating that he was not allowed to defend himself and had to “sit back” while others talked about him.
Mr. Trump has utilized social media as a crucial part of his defense strategy in the court of public opinion. Various judges overseeing different Trump cases have imposed restrictions on his use of social media. In the amended gag order, Justice Merchan acknowledged Mr. Trump’s constitutional right to speak freely to the American voters and defend himself publicly. However, he emphasized that attacks on individuals involved in the case serve no legitimate purpose.
