A Manhattan judge warned Donald Trump Monday that he could be jailed as a 'last step' if he keeps breaching a court order by ripping jurors and witnesses in “a direct attack on the rule of law.' “Mr Trump, you have to understand that I truly don’t want to throw you in jail,” Justice Juan Merchan told Trump from the bench. But the judge added that “as much as I do not want to impose a jail sanction, I want you to understand that I will, if it’s necessary and appropriate.
” Merchan found that Trump had breached the order for a 10th time by giving an interview bashing the jury in the case. He noted that the court’s max penalty of $1,000 per violation has not deterred Trump from violating the order over and over again. The judge added that he was “aware of the broader implications” at play in the case, given Trump’s status as a former and possible future president.