Judge Again Finds Donald Trump In Contempt And Warns Of Jail Time For Violating Gag Order

deadline.com:

A judge again found Donald Trump in contempt of court for violations of a partial gag order. Trump was fined $1,000 over a statement he made attacking the jury in the case.

Read the latest Trump contempt order. The judge in Trump’s hush money case, Juan Merchan, also warned the former president of possible jail time. “The last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” Merchan said. “You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well.” To jail him, Merchan said, “would be disruptive to the proceedings,” adding that it would pose a challenge as well for the Secret Service. “The magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me,” the judge said. “But at the end of the day, I have a job to do.” He told Trump that his “continued, willful violations” of the gag order “constitute a direct attack on the rule of law.

I cannot allow that to continue.” Merchan fined Trump $9,000 last week for nine violations of the gag order, which restricts the former president from commenting on potential witnesses, court staff, the judge’s family and most members of the prosecution team.

The judge’s latest ruling was over a Real America’s Voice interview in which Trump said, “You know [the judge is rushing the trial like crazy.