Donald Trump has paid the $9,000 he was fined for violating the limited gag order in the case, according to a court official.

Trump made the payment yesterday using two cashiers checks -- one for $2,000 and another for $7,000.

Trump on Tuesday was ordered by Judge Merchan to pay the $9,000 fine -- $1,000 for each of Trump's nine violations -- by the close of business today.

Exiting court, Trump spoke briefly with reporters before departing the courthouse.

"I was very interested in what took place today," Trump said of the 11th day of his criminal trial.

The former president wished everyone a good weekend before departing.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh and Mike Pappano

"We are going to call it a week at this time," Judge Merchan told the jury, dismissing them for the weekend.

The judge then gathered attorneys for both sides to continue the case's Sandoval hearing, begun last week, about the limit on Trump's potential testimony.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche objected to Trump being cross-examined on his gag order violations.

"Injecting into the cross-examination a finding by your honor beyond a reasonable doubt of contempt ... it puts a layer on top of the testimony," Blanche said. "It invites a sideshow that the People don't need."

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo argued that the gag order violations are relevant to Trump's credibility because if he violated the gag order, he similarly might "violate his obligation to tell the truth."

"These findings are relevant to the defendant's credibility if he chooses to testify," he said.

Issuing his ruling, Merchan denied the prosecution's request to cross-examine Trump on the gag order violations, finding that a determination from the court would be too prejudicial for the jury to overlook.

"I agree with Mr. Blanche," Merchan said, ending the week's proceedings.

Longtime Trump aide Hope Hicks reached for a glass of water as defense attorney Emil Bove, who has slowed the pace of his questioning, returned to the topic of the "Access Hollywood" tape.

Hicks said that Trump wanted his family to be proud of him, reinforcing the defense argument that Trump was just trying to protect his family amid negative press ahead of the 2016 election.

"I don't think he wanted anyone in his family to be hurt or embarrassed by anything that was happening on the campaign," Hicks said. "He wanted them to be proud of him."

Throughout her cross-examination, Hicks sprinkled her testimony with positive remarks about Trump.

"He likes to call and praise people for stories, even if they were not about him," Hicks said of Trump's interactions with the media. "He does a really nice job of maintaining relationships and always being willing to engage with the media."

When asked about her role in Trump's presidential campaign, Hicks responded, "I have only been on one campaign but it was a great one."

Trump, through much of this testimony, sat back in his chair, clasping his open hands over his chest.

Bove subsequently concluded his cross-examination and Hicks stepped down off the stand.

She appeared to give a side-eye glance at Trump as she left. As she walked by, Trump turned his head and watched her walk toward the exit.

Prosecutor Christopher Conroy told Judge Merchan during the contempt hearing that the limited gag order exists because of Trump's "persistent and escalating rhetoric" regarding trial participants, adding that Trump had violated the gag order nine times already.

"He has done it again here," Conroy said.

"That is what the order forbids, and he did it anyway," Conroy said about Trump's remarks about the composition of the jury.

Conroy then turned his attention to Trump's remarks about witness and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker last Thursday at a construction site in midtown Manhattan, in which he said, "He's been very nice. I mean, he's been -- David's been very nice. A nice guy."

"It was deliberate and calculated," Conroy said, describing the remarks as a "deliberate shots across the bow" to participants in the case.

"The defendant thinks the rules should be different for him," Conroy says about Trump's remarks about witnesses like Michael Cohen and David Pecker.

Trump has defended some of his commentary about the trial as a recitation of what he sees in media coverage. But Conroy said that Trump's rhetoric carries an "air of menace that is substantially different" than a news report.

"He places this process and proceeding here in jeopardy," Conroy said,