Indian-American supporters of the 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on May.6 advised him to give proper courtesy to Acting Justice Juan Merchan after the former president defied a gag order for the 10th time during court proceedings in his hush money trial.
Merchan fined Trump $1,000 for the violation and ordered the penalty to be paid by close of business on May.10. This comes after a $9,000 penalty was imposed already on Trump for nine previous violations of the judge’s gag order.
“Going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction,” Merchan said, adding “Mr. Trump, it’s important you understand, the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well.”
“The magnitude of this decision is not lost on me but at the end of the day I have a job to do,” the judge added. “So as much as I don’t want to impose a jail sanction … I want you to understand that I will if necessary and appropriate,” the judge explained.
AD Amar, president of the Indian-Americans for Trump 2024 group, issued a statement wherein he appealed for a change in his style and language in court.
"Indian Americans for Trump 2024 request President Trump to give proper courtesies to Acting Justice Juan Merchan because he has openly reflected a change in his style and language in the court,” the statement read. “They believe that the judge, from his statement made today, is being genuine in his appeal because he acknowledged President Trump as a former president who could become the next president. Indian Americans for Trump 2024 believe that this courtesy shown to the judge, at this time when he has pivoted, will help change or firm up many minds in electing Trump to be the next president. This is the goal of the Indian Americans for Trump 2024.”
Violations of the gag order, which is usually imposed to block the defendant from speaking out about potential witnesses or people associated with the jury and judiciary, are punishable by $1,000 or a jail time up to 30 days or both.
Trump has been accused by prosecutors of falsifying business records in order to hide the manner in which Michael Cohen was reimbursed for paying $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep her hush ahead of the 2016 election. The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges and refused having an affair with Daniels.
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Comments
Sam Patel
2024-05-07 00:00:00
USA allows free speech. Trump or anyone and at anytime must be allowed to FREE SPECH. Thereafter, they may be sued and punished with penalties for what they said if it was false, hurtful or illegal. The gag orders are pure wrong.