Donald J. Trump again broke a gag order meant to bar him from attacking
participants in his criminal trial, Justice Juan M. Merchan ruled. He threatened
the former president with jail.

By Alan Feuer, Ben Protess, Jonah E. Bromwich and William K. Rashbaum

May 6, 2024Updated 11:05 a.m. ET

The judge overseeing Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan rebuked the
former president on Monday for mounting “a direct attack on the rule of law,”
holding him in contempt of court for a second time and threatening to jail him
if he continued to break a gag order that bars him from attacking jurors.

In a moment of remarkable courtroom drama, the judge, Juan M. Merchan, addressed
Mr. Trump personally from the bench, saying that if there were further
violations, he might bypass financial penalties and place the former president
behind bars.

Justice Merchan acknowledged that jailing Mr. Trump was “the last thing” he
wanted to do, but explained that it was his responsibility to “protect the
dignity of the justice system.”

The judge said that he understood “the magnitude of such a decision” and that
jailing Mr. Trump would be a last resort. He noted: “You are the former
president of the United States, and possibly the next president as well.”

As the judge delivered his admonition and imposed a $1,000 fine, Mr. Trump
stared straight at him, blinking but not reacting, and when the remarks were
over, the former president shook his head.

It was the second time in two weeks that Mr. Trump had been punished for
breaking the gag order, which also bars him from attacking prosecutors,
witnesses and others. Among the violations of which Mr. Trump has been accused,
Justice Merchan has taken those involving the jury most seriously.

The violation for which he was punished on Monday stemmed from an incident on
April 22, when Mr. Trump made disparaging remarks about the jurors during a
telephone interview with a far-right media outlet, Real America’s Voice. The
jury, he said, had been picked “so fast” and was “mostly all Democrat,” adding,
“It’s a very unfair situation.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/nyregion/trump-trial-gag-order-contempt.html

The proceedings of this trial have been scrupulously fair.

Q. How do you know when a process or procedure is fair?

A. When Trump says it is "unfair."

On 5/6/2024 12:13 PM, Mike Colangelo wrote:
> Donald J. Trump again broke a gag order meant to bar him from attacking
> participants in his criminal trial, Justice Juan M. Merchan ruled. He threatened
> the former president with jail.
>
> By Alan Feuer, Ben Protess, Jonah E. Bromwich and William K. Rashbaum
>
>     May 6, 2024Updated 11:05 a.m. ET
>
> The judge overseeing Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan rebuked the
> former president on Monday for mounting “a direct attack on the rule of law,”
> holding him in contempt of court for a second time and threatening to jail him
> if he continued to break a gag order that bars him from attacking jurors.
>
> In a moment of remarkable courtroom drama, the judge, Juan M. Merchan, addressed
> Mr. Trump personally from the bench, saying that if there were further
> violations, he might bypass financial penalties and place the former president
> behind bars.
>
> Justice Merchan acknowledged that jailing Mr. Trump was “the last thing” he
> wanted to do, but explained that it was his responsibility to “protect the
> dignity of the justice system.”
>
> The judge said that he understood “the magnitude of such a decision” and that
> jailing Mr. Trump would be a last resort. He noted: “You are the former
> president of the United States, and possibly the next president as well.”
>
> As the judge delivered his admonition and imposed a $1,000 fine, Mr. Trump
> stared straight at him, blinking but not reacting, and when the remarks were
> over, the former president shook his head.
>
> It was the second time in two weeks that Mr. Trump had been punished for
> breaking the gag order, which also bars him from attacking prosecutors,
> witnesses and others. Among the violations of which Mr. Trump has been accused,
> Justice Merchan has taken those involving the jury most seriously.
>
> The violation for which he was punished on Monday stemmed from an incident on
> April 22, when Mr. Trump made disparaging remarks about the jurors during a
> telephone interview with a far-right media outlet, Real America’s Voice. The
> jury, he said, had been picked “so fast” and was “mostly all Democrat,” adding,
> “It’s a very unfair situation.”
>
> https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/nyregion/trump-trial-gag-order-contempt.html
>
> The proceedings of this trial have been scrupulously fair.
>
> Q. How do you know when a process or procedure is fair?
>
> A. When Trump says it is "unfair."

Just un-fucking-believable:

Mr. Trump has bridled in various ways at the constraints of Justice Merchan’s
order, which was first put in place in March and then expanded several days
later.

On Thursday, for instance, one of his lawyers, Susan Necheles, asked Justice
Merchan to evaluate a stack of articles that Mr. Trump had wanted to post
online about the case.

Ms. Necheles expressed concern that the articles might violate the gag order
because they mentioned the names of witnesses, but Justice Merchan refused to
rule in advance about whether Mr. Trump could post them. He cautioned Ms.
Necheles: “When in doubt, steer clear.”

That same afternoon, when court let out for the day, Mr. Trump falsely told
reporters that the gag order would prevent him from testifying in his own
defense at the trial. On Friday morning, Justice Merchan took a moment to
publicly correct the former president, instructing him that the order “does
not prevent you from testifying in any way.”

Trump *knows* that the bullshit he posts to social media violates the gag order,
making a travesty of the justice system.

On 06 May 2024, Mike Colangelo <air@vatican_.con> posted some
news:FZ9_N.60260$iMKd.56407@fx12.iad:

> Donald J. Trump again broke a gag order meant to bar him from
> attacking participants in his criminal trial, Justice Juan M. Merchan
> ruled. He threatened the former president with jail.
>
> By Alan Feuer, Ben Protess, Jonah E. Bromwich and William K. Rashbaum
>
> May 6, 2024Updated 11:05 a.m. ET
>
> The judge overseeing Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan
> rebuked the former president on Monday

That "judge" needs a good drop kick off a 40 story building.

He's nothing but a politician in a robe.

On Mon, 6 May 2024 12:13:40 -0700, Mike Colangelo <air@vatican_.con>
wrote:

>Donald J. Trump again broke a gag order meant to bar him from attacking
>participants in his criminal trial, Justice Juan M. Merchan ruled. He threatened
>the former president with jail.
>

Hysterical. A judge who is allowing ridiculous charges to be tried
and gags one side while allowing everyone else to freely talk
mentioning "a direct attack on the rule of law".

We live in crazy-land.

On 5/7/2024 7:05 AM, NoBody wrote:
> On Mon, 6 May 2024 12:13:40 -0700, Mike Colangelo <air@vatican_.con>
> wrote:
>
>> Donald J. Trump again broke a gag order meant to bar him from attacking
>> participants in his criminal trial, Justice Juan M. Merchan ruled. He threatened
>> the former president with jail.
>>
>
> Hysterical. A judge who is allowing ridiculous charges to be tried

No need to read past that lie. The charges are serious and fully warranted.

On 5/7/2024 11:26 AM, Mike Colangelo wrote:
> On 5/7/2024 7:05 AM, NoBody wrote:
>> On Mon, 6 May 2024 12:13:40 -0700, Mike Colangelo <air@vatican_.con>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Donald J. Trump again broke a gag order meant to bar him from attacking
>>> participants in his criminal trial, Justice Juan M. Merchan ruled. He
>>> threatened
>>> the former president with jail.
>>>
>>
>> Hysterical.  A judge who is allowing ridiculous charges to be tried
>
> No need to read past that lie. The charges are serious and fully warranted.

You're no "judge" of the law, shorty.