2. Former President Trump appeared in court for a hearing related to his ongoing criminal trial. During the hearing, he was fined for violating a gag order, threatened with jail time for future violations, and ordered to remain present during the proceedings.
Former President Trump appeared in court on Tuesday, January 10th, for a hearing related to his ongoing criminal trial. The hearing came after Trump was held in contempt of court for violating a gag order prohibiting him from discussing the case outside of court.
During the hearing, Judge Kaplan fined Trump $10,000 for each of the two gag order violations. He also warned him that he could face jail time if he violates the order again. The judge further ordered Trump to remain present in the courtroom for at least the next two weeks.
The hearing was the latest in a series of legal proceedings against Trump. The former president is currently facing a number of lawsuits, including a criminal investigation into his role in the January 6th Capitol riot.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the Capitol riot and has repeatedly attacked the legitimacy of the legal proceedings against him. However, Judge Kaplan has been critical of Trump's behavior, accusing him of "playing games" with the court.
The hearing lasted for several hours and was closely watched by legal experts and political observers. It remains to be seen how the contempt of court finding will impact the ongoing criminal trial against Trump.
In addition to the contempt of court finding, Judge Kaplan also addressed a number of other issues during the hearing. He ruled that Trump would not be permitted to represent himself in the criminal trial. He also denied Trump's request to have the trial moved out of state.
The criminal trial against Trump is scheduled to begin on January 19th. The trial is expected to last for several weeks and could result in a prison sentence for Trump if he is found guilty.
