Donald Trump's hush money case resumed in a New York courtroom with testimony from Keith Davidson. Earlier in the day, a judge ruled Trump violated a gag order and fined him $9,000.
$9,000 for 9 instances. If he does it again, he could face jail time. That’s really the key point. Fines, especially tiny ones, don’t mean shit. Throwing him in prison for a few weeks would be a comforting result, though.
Max fine. He can also be jailed for contempt of court, but it could be argued that jail was an excessive punishment for a first offense. So the judge has to treat him like any other defendant. It would be unprecedented to send him to jail for a first contempt conviction.
Tl;Dr, he’s getting a fine for each instance and a warning to not do it again. Spoiler alert
$9,000 for 9 instances. If he does it again, he could face jail time. That’s really the key point. Fines, especially tiny ones, don’t mean shit. Throwing him in prison for a few weeks would be a comforting result, though.
The fines are limited by statute, so $1k per instance is the max the judge can order
Max fine. He can also be jailed for contempt of court, but it could be argued that jail was an excessive punishment for a first offense. So the judge has to treat him like any other defendant. It would be unprecedented to send him to jail for a first contempt conviction.
What does the statute say about community service? Make him pick up trash.
That would be amazing. I would would settle for that.
Can trump pick himself up?