The prosecutors in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial in New York are keeping the witness schedule a secret in order to prevent the former president from targeting upcoming witnesses. This decision was made due to Trump’s violation of the order restricting extrajudicial speech. The prosecution is notifying defense attorneys one day before each witness is called to testify, instead of releasing an expected witness list to the public. This adds an element of suspense to the trial as the witnesses are revealed one by one. Despite claims from Trump’s defense team that this puts him at a disadvantage, the prosecution maintains that the defense has had the witness list for a long time.
Trump is bound by a gag order that prohibits him from speaking about witnesses and jurors. However, he has already been held in contempt of court 10 times for violating this order. The latest contempt citations were issued on a day filled with testimony from Trump Organization insiders on how the company operates and business records at the center of the case. Former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney was a key witness, testifying about reimbursement payments made to Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen. These payments were allegedly falsified by Trump to hide the payment made to Stormy Daniels.
During the day’s proceedings, Trump was warned by the judge to stop violating the court’s orders or face jail time. Despite being fined $10,000 for 10 separate infringements of the gag order, the judge opted not to throw Trump in jail immediately. The judge emphasized that incarceration would be a last resort and disruptive to the proceedings but emphasized that he has a job to do. Trump seemed unyielding as he left the court, indicating that he may continue to violate the gag order to prioritize his right to free speech. The trial continues to unfold with layers of suspense and dramatic testimonies adding to the high-profile nature of the case.
