Legal experts claim Trump could face harsh ruling for defying Judge Merchan's gag order, Internet says 'lock him up'

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Several legal experts believe that if former President Donald Trump is found guilty of any of the 34 felony charges in his ongoing hush money criminal trial, his sentence could be more severe than usual due to his continued defiance of Judge Juan Merchan’s orders.

Specifically, the 77-year-old's persistent disregard for the judge's gag order may have negative consequences for him if the Manhattan jury delivers a guilty verdict, according to RawStory.

What did legal experts say regarding Trump’s chances of conviction in the hush money case?

Former prosecutors, speaking to Politico's Ben Feuerherd in interviews, have conjectured that the behavior of the ex-president during the hush money trial might have rendered him more susceptible to stricter treatment by the judge.

According to Politico, "If he’s convicted, Trump’s defiance of the judge’s order, including two recent comments posing a new test of its boundaries — could make things worse for the former president at sentencing.”

Former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Bederow claimed, "Those are obviously aggravating factors, generically speaking, for someone to get a stiffer sentence."

The New York Law School's Anna Cominsky asserts that while "having to deal with the gag order is a huge distraction for both sides," this does not mean that prosecutors will overlook mentioning the violations during the actual sentencing process.

Former US Attorney Barbara McQuade said that Trump's breach of the gag order may be a wild card when it comes to the terms of his punishment.

“Trump’s contempt for the judge’s gag order is so unprecedented that it’s very difficult to say how a judge would usually handle such a situation,” McQuade remarked.

She went on to say, "Remorse and the need to promote respect for the law are typically factors that a judge takes into consideration when imposing sentences. Trump’s repeated violations of the gag order certainly demonstrate the lack of remorse and respect for the law.”

Internet reacts to legal experts' concerns over Trump's gag order defiance

One X user claimed, "The big problem is he keeps thinking campaigning or being ex-president gives him some sort of special legal status. It does not."

Another user said, "About time… but hope diminish with time. Any one else would be in dire straits w similar behavior." [sic]

Another user wrote, "Let’s hope the sentence is stiff enough to make a difference!"

One user remarked, "Gag him for ever." [sic]

Another X user quipped, "My neighbor once went to the states & at the border gave the border patrol some mouth. Well that didn’t go well, he missed his event . Lesson learned? THINK before you go mouth off." [sic]

Finally, this user tweeted, "F**ing lock him up !"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.