Donald Trump Could End Up Behind Bars Sooner Than Expected, Legal Scholars Speculate

Former President Donald Trump may find himself in jail sooner than expected due to his inability to abide by gag orders in his recent civil fraud trial in New York.

The charges he faces in Washington, D.C., for attempting to overturn the 2020 election are criminal in nature, and therefore, the federal judge overseeing that case has the power to punish him more severely if he fails to keep quiet.

Trump has shown little restraint when it comes to speaking out about his trial, openly deriding special prosecutor Jack Smith and court staff, who he believes are treating him unfairly.

While jailing a former president for disobeying a gag order would be controversial, it is not out of the question.

Although Trump has already proven his willingness to disobey gag orders in his New York trial, the consequences in the D.C. case could be much more significant.

Legal scholars are now focusing on U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan and wondering if she would take the dramatic step of jailing him.

According to Catherine Ross, a professor emeritus at George Washington University Law School, Judge Chutkan appears prepared for the situation and is not willing to put up with Trump's behavior. However, at this point, there are no bets being placed on whether Trump will spend time in jail simply for running his mouth.

Trump has been using his position as the leading 2024 Republican presidential candidate to attack the judiciary and portray every case against him as a leftist "witch hunt."

The ex-president has launched several vicious attacks against prosecutors, judges and court staff. This has created high tension amongst judges, and Trump may face consequences not only in D.C., but also in other states where he is accused of election interference.

In his New York trial, Trump continually violated gag orders by making false accusations against political rivals and court staff. He deleted the social media posts containing his remarks but kept them on his campaign website.

Trump received fines of $5,000 and $10,000 for breaking the gag order, with Judge Arthur Engoron repeatedly warning him that continued misbehavior could result in prison time. Engoron also recognized the severity of jailing a former president during a civil trial.

Legal scholars believe Chutkan may be more inclined to impose prison time in the D.C. case.

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!

Trump's trial in D.C. is different because he is accused of using his presidency's power to overturn the 2020 election, leading to the violent insurrection on January 6.

Judge Chutkan has already issued a gag order forbidding Trump from targeting court employees, witnesses or the special counsel's team.

The Daily Beast reported on the possibility of Trump going to jail.