Trump’s trial resumed: the judge fined him for contempt and threatened to send him to jail

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Former President Donald Trump was fined $9,000 by Judge Juan M. Merchán for violating a gag order in his hush money trial. The judge ruled that Trump had violated the order nine times and warned that he could face jail time if he continues to willfully violate the court’s orders. This is the first time a former US president is facing criminal prosecution, with Trump pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The trial, which resumed for a third week, saw one of Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche, failing to provide substantial evidence to support the former president’s defense against the allegations. The prosecution’s third witness, banker Gary Farro, returned to the stand to testify about the illegal scheme to influence the 2016 presidential campaign by burying negative stories, including the silence payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for the upcoming election, has been campaigning during his off hours but is required to be present in court four days a week. The charges against him revolve around $130,000 in payments his company made to former attorney Michael Cohen, which prosecutors say were falsely recorded as legal expenses.

The trial will have a day off for Memorial Day weekend next month, with the court not in session on Friday, May 24. The trial will resume on Tuesday, May 28, after the extended holiday break. Meanwhile, Trump is expected to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation on May 17.

This trial marks a historic moment in American politics, as it is the first criminal trial of a former US president and the first of four indictments against Trump to reach a jury. The outcome of the trial will have significant implications for Trump’s political future and the accountability of high-ranking officials in the US government.