Time for Judge Chutkan to jail Trump if he defies gag order once more: former prosecutor

According to one former federal prosecutor, it is finally time for Judge Tanya Chutkan to put some bite into her attempts to keep Donald Trump from trying to intimidate witnesses and courtroom personnel by plopping him in jail to get his attention.

In an interview with Newsweek, former prosecutor Neama Rahmani claimed the former president has been the recipient of far too much leeway from the courts after gag orders have been issued and that it is time for the D.C judge overseeing his federal election case to send him a message next time he defies her.

Speaking with Newsweek's Sean O'Driscoll, Rahmani explained, "All of this is meaningless unless Judge Chutkan is actually going to enforce the gag order and revoke Trump's bond or hold him in contempt. So far, no judge has been willing to do so, aside from minor, meaningless fines."

Rahmani added that revocation of Trump's bond would mean he would be taken into custody and jailed before his case comes to trial in March.

The former prosecutor added, "Obviously, there are First Amendment issues at play for a presidential candidate, but Trump has pushed the limits of free expression and gag orders have been routinely upheld by appellate courts, including the Supreme Court."

The report adds that Appeals Court Judge Patricia A. Millett was specific about how the former president should be treated, writing, "Mr. Trump is a former president and current candidate for the presidency, and there is a strong public interest in what he has to say. But Mr. Trump is also an indicted criminal defendant, and he must stand trial in a courtroom under the same procedures that govern all other criminal defendants. That is what the rule of law means."

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