From what I read, it works how the judge wants it to work. The penalty is up to Merchan's discretion. I would understand if there is a law that states what happens on a first violation and onwards. But if the judge can deem that it wasn't a mistake and he is willfully disrespecting the court and trying to taint the jury pool, the consequences could be far worse than a 1k fine.It's called due process. While it'd be fun to slap him with something big early it's not how it works. Tho if he does enough stupid stuff it does stack into bigger consequences later
Up until now, I am not impressed with how judges have used their discretion in regards to Trump. Frankly, they seem scared.