Trump Makes Judge Lash Out Mid-Jury Selection: ‘I Won’t Tolerate That’

Former President Donald Trump’s trial over hush money payments resumed at the Manhattan courthouse for a second day on Tuesday. The day involved continued jury selection, during which Trump’s legal team faced the challenge of replacing disqualified jurors from the initial pool.

On Monday, several jurors were dismissed for reasons ranging from bias to health issues and scheduling conflicts, significantly narrowing the candidate list. By Tuesday afternoon, half of the required twelve jurors had been successfully selected and seated. The selection process began with 96 potential jurors on Monday.

Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial, addressed several procedural details on Monday. However, he has yet to decide on allegations from prosecutors that Trump breached a gag order imposed during the trial. On Tuesday, Judge Merchan sternly cautioned Trump against any courtroom outbursts that could influence jury members, emphasizing the need for a fair trial environment.

According to Fox News, Judge Merchan explicitly warned, “I won’t tolerate that—I won’t have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom…take a moment and speak to your client,'” underscoring the importance of decorum in the judicial process.

Trump sketch in courtroom/Christine Cornell

According to reports, six jurors were officially sworn in at the Manhattan courthouse today. The group represents half of the total needed, with each juror raising their right hand as part of the oath-taking ceremony. Judge Merchan instructed them to avoid discussing or researching the case independently. They are scheduled to return to court on Monday, April 22nd. The court is set to continue the selection process to find the remaining six jurors and a few alternates to complete the panel.

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Earlier in the day, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a motion to hold former President Trump in contempt of court, alleging that Trump violated the court’s gag order by making public comments about two key witnesses in his ongoing criminal trial. The action, filed in the New York Supreme Court, would lead to significant consequences, including imprisonment.

The court documents accuse Trump of intentionally defying a gag order that prohibited him from making public statements about Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, both of whom are involved in the case. According to the motion, Trump’s comments on social media were a clear violation of the court’s directives.

“Defendant willfully violated this Court’s order by publishing several social media posts attacking two known witnesses—Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. These attacks unquestionably violate the Court’s April 1 order,” Bragg stated in the motion. The document claimed that such actions by Trump could “threaten the integrity of the judicial proceedings” by potentially intimidating witnesses and adversely affecting the trial’s fairness.

The filed motion detailed the alleged infractions, including quotes from Trump’s posts. In one instance, Trump is cited as thanking Michael Avenatti for revealing “the truth about two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!” This, along with other statements, was pointed to as evidence of Trump’s “disregard” for the judicial order.

The DA’s office urged the court to not only affirm the existing gag order but also to consider stronger penalties for future violations. “This Court should now hold defendant in criminal contempt for willfully disobeying a lawful mandate,” Bragg argued in the document. Bragg’s motion suggests that Trump’s actions warrant a direct response from the judiciary to maintain order and respect for the court’s processes: “Defendant is not above the law, and he cannot simply disregard judicial orders that upset him.”

The New York Times

Judge Merchan was requested to warn Trump that further disregard for the court’s rules could result in “not only with additional fines but also with a term of incarceration of up to thirty days.” The filing is the latest development in a series of legal challenges facing Trump, with this particular case scrutinizing his conduct regarding court orders and the broader implications on legal proceedings.

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Trump expressed his frustration on Monday after Merchan informed him that attending his son Barron’s high school graduation could lead to jail time. “We had some amazing things happen today. As you know, my son has graduated from high school. And it looks like the judge will not let me go through the graduation of my son, who’s worked very, very hard,” Trump stated. He described the situation as a continuation of what he called a “scam trial” and a “political witch hunt.”