05 April,2023 08:36 AM IST | New York | Agencies
Journalists gather across the street from Manhattan Criminal Court, Tuesday in New York. Pics/AP
An extraordinary moment in U.S. history was scheduled to unfold in a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday: Former President Donald Trump, who faces multiple election-related investigations, was to surrender to face criminal charges stemming from 2016 hush money payments. The booking and arraignment are likely to be relatively brief - though hardly routine - as Trump is fingerprinted, learns the charges against him and pleads, as expected, not guilty.
Trump, who was impeached twice by the U.S. House but was never convicted in the U.S. Senate, will become the first former president to face criminal charges. The nation's 45th commander in chief will be escorted from Trump Tower to the courthouse by the Secret Service and may have his mug shot taken.
New York police are braced for protests by Trump supporters, who share the Republican former president's belief that the New York grand jury indictment and three additional pending investigations are politically motivated and intended to weaken his bid to retake the White House in 2024.
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Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York Monday
Trump has been hyping that narrative to his political advantage, raising millions of dollars since the indictment on claims of a "witch hunt." He has assailed the Manhattan district attorney, egged on supporters to protest and claimed without evidence that the judge presiding over the case "hates me" - something his own lawyer has said is not true.
Trump is scheduled to return to his Palm Beach, Florida, home, Mar-a-Lago, on Tuesday evening to hold a rally, punctuating his new reality: submitting to the dour demands of the American criminal justice system while projecting an aura of defiance and victimhood at celebratory campaign events.
A conviction would not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024. Prosecutors led by New York's district attorney, Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, are expected to unseal the indictment issued last week by a grand jury. This is when Trump and his defense lawyers will get their first glimpse of the precise allegations against him.
The indictment contains multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, two people familiar with the matter said last week. After the arraignment, Trump is expected to be released by authorities because the charges against him don't require that bail be set.
TV cameras not allowed
News outlets will not be allowed to broadcast Trump's historic arraignment on Tuesday in a Manhattan state court, New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has ruled. Trump, 76, the first former president to face a criminal charge, was to appear before Judge Merchan at 2.15 pm EST (11.45 pm IST) on Tuesday amid tight security. Five still photographers will be allowed to take pictures of Trump and the courtroom before the hearing begins, however. Trump's arraignment is a public proceeding, but news cameras are not usually allowed to broadcast from inside the courtroom, CNN reported.
