Trump hush money trial: Key takeaways from start of third week of testimony

After Friday’s emotional testimony of Hope Hicks, the former aide to Donald Trump, the fourth week of the historic criminal hush money trial of the former president got underway on Monday (6 May) with a dramatic warning from the judge.

Justice Juan Merchan ruled on the next set of gag order violations having already fined Mr Trump $9,000 for previous breaches of the rules he set out for Mr Trump and his legal team.

The former president is now under the threat of jail if he continues to post social media comments on witnesses and jurors.

That aside, while there was much anticipation about who might take the stand next — as court watchers eagerly await testimony from Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, or Karen McDougal — the case turned toward the underlying transactions and bookkeeping procedures that form the basis of the criminal charges with testimony from Trump Organization administrators.

Here’s what we learned today in court:

Financial penalties may not be enough to keep the former president from violating a trial gag order intended to protect jurors, witnesses, court staff and their families, according to Judge Merchan.

Prosecutors have accused Mr Trump of violating the gag order at least 14 times, and the judge has agreed with them in 10 of those instances, issuing a total of $10,000 in fines.

In a written order on Monday, the judge noted that because Mr Trump made the latest gag-violating comments before the last decision on 30 April, he will only face a monetary fine.

But it could be his last.

“However, because this is now the [10th] time that this Court has found Defendant in criminal contempt, spanning three separate motions, it is apparent that monetary fines have not, and will not, suffice to deter Defendant