Former President Trump to appear in Manhattan court: What to expect

NEW YORK — Donald Trump is set to be arrested on Tuesday when he arrives at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, an unprecedented development in a landmark case that will make him the first former US president to face criminal charges.

Details of the charges, including whether they may include felony charges, have remained sealed since the jury voted on the indictment late last week, although sources familiar with the matter say it includes approximately 30 charges related to silent money document fraud. investigation into payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

Trump, who has called the district attorney’s investigation a “witch hunt” and called for the impeachment of Alvin Bragg, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. On Monday evening, the judge assigned to her case, Judge Juan Merchan, ruled that video cameras would not be allowed inside the courthouse and that, while phones and laptops are fine, they cannot be used, meaning the public will have to wait until after the expected brief indictment to learn the ramifications.

The former president is expected to head downtown after 10 a.m. Tuesday, with his motorcade departing from Trump Tower, where crowds converged throughout Monday and the night before his arrival.

Once Trump formally surrenders as scheduled, a member of the District Attorney’s Office will notify him of his arrest, take his fingerprints, and charge him at the 15th Floor, Part 59 of the Manhattan Criminal Court Building, the same courtroom where Harvey Weinstein was tried and convicted of rape and sexual assault in February 2020.

The photo issue remained up in the air on Monday evening, and officials pointed to the fluid nature of those discussions and the rest of the situation regarding Trump’s reservation. There is no precedent for this.

Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, said Tuesday that the twice-indicted Trump would not plead guilty to lesser charges, even if that could settle the case. He said he didn’t think the case would ever go to a jury, but admitted, “Really, there’s a lot of mystery here because we’re doing something that’s never been done before.”

The twice-indicted former commander-in-chief will not be handcuffed or held in a holding cell, sources familiar with the plans said. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment.

After the arraignment, authorities are expected to release Trump because the charges against him do not require the posting of bail. He will then return to LaGuardia Airport, where his private plane landed a day ago, and fly to Florida before a public address scheduled for the evening from Mar-a-Lago.

Alfredo Acosta with the report.

Trump’s impeachment triggers intense security in New York

Continued street closures are expected across Manhattan throughout the day, with more roads possible at the discretion of the NYPD. Mayor Eric Adams appeared with NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell ahead of the arraignment to urge those who choose to protest to do so peacefully, including ardent Trump ally US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tweeted last week that she intended to protest in person outside of court on Tuesday. .

It is hoped that people, desde los medios de comunicación hasta turistas y locales, los simpatizantes y los demonstrators, flanqueen la streets frente al Palacio de Justice Penal de Manhattan y la Torre Trump, donde se han colocado barricadas del Departamento de Policía de Nueva York desde last week. An NYPD bus and other vehicles were added to the line of defense on Monday and are expected to remain there.

The department’s 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees have been ordered to report in uniform and prepare to deploy as needed beginning Friday, and that cautionary mandate will likely remain in effect until the start of this week in the event of crowds, demonstrations or other disturbances.

Ricardo Villarini updates us.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

New York’s ability to conduct safe, drama-free court proceedings in a case involving a polarizing former president could be a major test case as prosecutors in Atlanta and Washington conduct their own investigations into Trump that could also result in charges. .

These investigations relate to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, as well as the potential mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

Top Republicans, including some of Trump’s potential rivals in next year’s Republican presidential primaries, have criticized the case against him. Trump has insisted he will run in 2024 regardless of the outcome of the case. Neither an indictment nor a conviction, even for a felony charge, would stop him from throwing his hat in the ring again.

Prosecutors did not say whether they would seek jail time if convicted.

Meanwhile, Trump pollster John McLaughlin said the former president will approach impeachment day with “dignity”.

“He’ll be a gentleman,” McLaughlin said. “He will show strength and dignity and… we will get through this and win the election.

But Trump was also provocative. In a post Monday night on his social media, he lashed out at Biden and suggested the current president should face his own legal troubles.

Biden, who has yet to officially announce he will run again next year, and other Democratic leaders have little to say on the matter. The White House has not publicly commented on the case.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT IMPECTION TRUMP

Trump will be arraigned on the 15th Floor, Part 59 of the Manhattan Criminal Court Building, the same room where Harvey Weinstein was tried and convicted of rape and sexual assault in February 2020. He is directly across from Trump Corp and Trump Payroll Corp. were convicted in December 2022 of criminal tax evasion, conspiracy and falsifying business records. Attorney Susan Necheles has defended the Trump Organization in the case and is expected to appear alongside Trump when he is arraigned.

The developments could have significant implications for the 2024 presidential election. Trump, 76, has insisted he will continue to seek the Republican nomination even if the jury votes for impeachment.

Legally, an indictment does not prevent you from presenting yourself. Prosecutors haven’t said whether they plan to seek jail time if convicted, though that also wouldn’t stop Trump from running for president or winning next year.

For a man whose presidency has been defined by one erased rule after another, the indictment sets up another unprecedented spectacle: a former president being fingerprinted and then prosecuted. It’s unclear if the public will see a photo ID, or if one will even be taken. That is why.

For security reasons, it is expected that your reservation will be carefully choreographed to avoid crowding inside or outside the courthouse.

MANHATTAN LAWYER DEFENDS INQUIRY

As Trump and his lawyers prepared his defense, Bragg late last week defended the jury investigation that led to his trial, while congressional Republicans described the whole thing as politically motivated.

In a letter Friday, the Manhattan District Attorney told three House Republican committee chairs that such claims are “misleading and baseless” and dismissed Congress’ investigation into the secret jury process. by the law. .

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has promised to use congressional oversight to investigate Bragg. Steil, Jordan and Comer asked Bragg’s office for jury testimony, documents and copies of any communications with the Justice Department.

Political analyst Carlos Vargas claimed that this accusation will unite the bases of the Republican Party for the next elections.

TRUMP’S LEGAL PROBLEMS: BEYOND THE MANHATTAN IMPLAUSATION

Trump’s impeachment marks an extraordinary development after years of investigations into his business, political and personal dealings.

Even as Trump continues his latest White House campaign, there’s no doubt impeachment is fueling his longtime critics.

In addition to the secret money investigation in New York, Trump faces criminal investigations in Georgia and Washington for his alleged efforts to alter the 2020 election results.

A Justice Department special counsel also presented evidence to a jury investigating Trump’s possession of hundreds of classified documents at his Florida estate.

It’s unclear when these investigations will end or if they could lead to criminal charges, but they will continue regardless of what happens in New York, underscoring the current severity — and wide geographic reach — of the legal challenges facing the former president faces.

Eric Tucker, Michael R. Sisak, Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price of The Associated Press contributed this information.