Hush money trial live updates: Judge finds Trump violated gag order

In his ruling, the judge warned Trump he may be jailed if he continues to violate the gag order.

Merchan wrote that Trump “is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.”

Merchan lamented that he was limited by law to fining Trump a maximum of $1,000 per violation, writing that while such an amount “may suffice in most instances to protect the dignity of the judicial system, to compel respect for its mandates and to punish the offender for disobeying a court order, it unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances” where a person held in contempt “can easily afford such a fine.”

Merchan wrote that in such instances, it would be preferable if he could impose “a fine more commensurate with the wealth” of the person being fined. “Because this Court is not cloaked with such discretion, it must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment,” the judge concluded.