Just a quick note regarding the ongoing trump criminal trial in Manhattan: the judge held trump in contempt for his social media outbursts and threats (via Ximena Bustillo at NPR):
Former President Donald Trump has been held in contempt of the court and fined $9,000 for violating a gag order aimed at protecting witnesses and jurors in his Manhattan criminal trial.
Prosecutors in Trump's criminal trial last month asked Judge Juan Merchan to fine him $10,000 — $1,000 each for 10 posts — for violating a gag order and rule Trump in contempt of court. Merchan on Tuesday fined Trump for nine of those posts.
Trump was ordered to pay the money by Friday, May 3, and remove seven offending posts from his Truth Social account, and two posts from his campaign website by 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
From what I've seen reported on Twitter (up yours, Elon) trump's handlers have indeed removed the offending posts. Now it's just a question if trump keeps pushing the limit and posts more offending/dangerous outbursts in the near future. Considering how laughably small the fines are - only $1,000 per offense? - even for a near-bankrupt con artist like trump that won't be a deterrent.
Even Judge Merchan knows these fines are weak sauce compared to the level of punishment trump deserves (this from Jordan Rubin over at MSNBC):
Merchan noted that he was limited by the $1,000 maximum for each violation, which may not do much to deter a wealthy defendant. Given the lack of discretion to impose a more serious fine for Trump, the judge wrote that he “must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment.” He explicitly warned the defendant in his ruling Tuesday that he won’t tolerate continued willful violations and that he will jail him if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances.
Merchan didn't go straight to the jail holding because it would seem too strict a move so early in the proceedings, and trump will gleefully use that moment to make himself a martyr on the campaign trail. But the judge did put that out there as a genuine threat, and one trump (at least his lawyers) should view as a serious concern because it will tell all the non-MAGA voters out there that trump is that disrespectful of American justice.
Merchan has laid down exactly where the line is that trump shouldn't cross.
Don't be surprised if trump crosses it entirely out of panic (and not even out of spite).
And it is entirely deserved. trump and his cohort have been mocking the legal system for years, getting away with stuff that most Americans wouldn't even dare attempt.
It's not vengeance we're hoping for, trump. Not the thing that always drives you to ruin the world for everyone else.
It's for all the sins you've committed, all the damage you've done. It's punishment.
1 comment:
You just keep on ignoring the rules, Fergus, and we'll keep on taking your money. It's one of the very few things you're actually good for. The first juror or witness that gets a threat, though, and you get to sit out not just this, but all of your trials in jail. Then your lawyers might have to rethink the delay strategy.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
Post a Comment