Judge Merchan has granted former President Donald Trump permission to attend his son Barron Trump’s high school graduation next month. The graduation is set for May 17, and Trump will be allowed to take the day off from his business records trial, as reported by the New York Times.
Merchan had initially delayed issuing a ruling on Trump’s request for the day off, but ultimately decided that the May 17 date would not pose a problem. Trump had expressed concern in a Truth Social post that he might not be able to attend Barron’s graduation due to the trial and criticized Merchan for taking too long to make a decision.
While Merchan ruled in Trump’s favor regarding the graduation, he also held the former president in contempt of court for violating the gag order. Trump was fined $1,000 per violation and ordered to remove several posts from his social media accounts. Trump responded by claiming that his First Amendment rights were being infringed upon and accused Merchan of rigging the trial and interfering with the 2024 election.
The gag order prohibits Trump from making public comments that could interfere with the trial, including discussing witnesses, court staff, or jurors. The case is titled New York v. Trump and is being heard in the New York Supreme Court for New York County.
