Yahoo News: Judge Warns Donald Trump: Show Up To Manhattan Hush Money Trial Each Day or There Will Be An Arrest

Source:NBC News showing Defendant Don in the courtroom.

"Former President Donald Trump can continue showing up for his criminal trial in Manhattan -- or, potentially, go straight to jail.

That was Judge Juan Merchan's warning to the Republican candidate on Monday, NBC News reported, as jury selection continues in a case where prosecutors allege Trump conspired to falsify business records, covering up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

As NBC News noted, the warning is a standard reminder for criminal defendants. But it is the first time the warning has ever been delivered to a former U.S. president.

Katie Phang, a legal analyst with MSNBC, reported that Trump acknowledged his right and responsibility to attend the trial in an exchange with Merchan (who he has repeatedly attacked on Truth Social). Trump also promised to behave himself.

"If you disrupt the proceedings, you can be excluded from the courtroom and committed to jail based on your conduct and the trial will continue on in your absence," Merchan told Trump, per a transcript that Phang posted on X. "If you do not show up, there will be an arrest," the judge continued. "Do you understand?"

"I do," Trump responded." 

From Yahoo News 

"Merchan is talking about Trump's right to be present in court — known as Parker admonitions.

Merchan is talking directly to the former president for the first time all day, issuing a stark warning that if he fails to show up for trial without a reason a warrant will be issued for his arrest.

The N.Y. courts provide a script for these which is below:

SHOW" 

From NBC News 

As my colleague Fred Schneider mentioned earlier today: 

"This might sound harsh. Well, perhaps just to supporters of Donald J. Trump. And I don't want to compare Mr. Trump to any real-life dictator, because that might actually be too harsh. But imagine a dictator whose been in power for 20 years for all sorts of reasons. And the new democratically elected government that comes to power decides to prosecute the former dictator of their country. I don't pretend to be a mindreader and I've never even met Donald J. Trump in real-life. But I'm guessing from everything that I know about this man, that must be how he's feeling right now and what he's going through." 

From The New Democrat

I think we now know what's going to happen if Donald Trump consistently violates Judge Juan Merchan's gag order. DJT will be sent to jail, if he doesn't behave himself and act like an adult about this case, in and outside of the courtroom. Because if Judge Merchan doesn't enforce his own orders and rules here, he's going to look like a complete weakling and look like that weakling in front of a live, national audience. 

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