In Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial, the judge, Justice Juan Merchan, fined the former U.S. president $9,000 for contempt of court on Tuesday. Merchan warned that he would consider imprisonment if Trump continued to violate a gag order.
Merchan imposed the gag order to prevent Trump from criticizing witnesses and other participants in the case. He fined Trump $1,000 for each of nine online statements that violated the order.
These posts, made between April 10 and April 17, included calling his former lawyer Michael Cohen a “serial liar” and quoting a Fox News pundit alleging “undercover liberal activists” attempting to join the jury. Merchan rejected Trump’s argument that he couldn’t be held liable for reposting material he didn’t write himself.
The judge will consider further penalties for other statements at a hearing on Thursday and ordered Trump to remove the statements from his Truth Social account and campaign website.
Free Speech?
Trump criticized Merchan’s actions, claiming they infringed on his free speech rights. His lawyer argued that the statements were responses to political attacks, but Merchan noted the lack of evidence to support this.
The $9,000 fine, due by Friday, is a relatively small penalty for Trump, who has already posted $266.6 million in bonds as he appeals civil judgments in two other cases. However, imprisonment would be unprecedented for a former U.S. president.
If imprisoned, it’s uncertain whether Trump would be sent to New York City’s Rikers Island jail or be placed under more lenient treatment, possibly home confinement in his Trump Tower triplex, due to security concerns and his status as a former president.
Trump, the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election, faces charges of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He has pleaded not guilty and denied allegations of a sexual encounter with Daniels.
The criminal trial is one of four pending against Trump but could be the only one to result in a verdict before the election.
