Trump in New York to face criminal charges in historic court appearance
Former US President Donald Trump is due to appear in a New York court Tuesday to face a historic criminal complaint related to hush money payments in 2016, the first time in American history that a former president has been indicted.The 45th President of the United States and front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, Trump, will appear at the Lower Manhattan courthouse around noon for a fingerprinting and processing, and then go before Judge Juan Merchan to plead not guilty.
The historic indictment was scheduled for Tuesday at 14:15 (1815 GMT) but will not be broadcast live as Judge Juan Merchan ruled that only five photographers are allowed to take pictures a few minutes before the trial begins.Although defendants charged with crimes are usually arrested in handcuffs, one of Trump's lawyers has indicated he doesn't expect it.
His lawyers were quoted as saying that he would plead not guilty on his first court appearance and before a judge.The New York City Police Department (NYPD) began erecting barricades at the edge of sidewalks around Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building downtown over the weekend to prevent chaotic scenes.New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged potential "rioters" to behave, as he expects demonstrations from Trump supporters and critics alike.
“Our message is clear and simple: control yourself. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger," Adams told reporters.Judge Juan Merchan, who will preside over the courtroom that Trump will later enter, also oversaw a criminal trial against the Trump Organization last December after the company was found guilty of operating a criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities for 15 years .Ahead of Thursday's indictment, the grand jury heard evidence relating to a $130,000 payment the 76-year-old former president made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Daniels said she was paid to remain silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006.Prosecutors also questioned witnesses about claims that $150,000 in hush money had previously been paid to former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal."I honestly don't know how this is going to go -- hopefully as smoothly as possible -- and then we start the fight to right this wrong," Joseph Tacopina told CNN, speaking of the charges.
The specific charges in a Manhattan grand jury's indictment have yet to be announced, but reports suggested Trump would face 34 felonies over forgery of business records.Trump allegedly booked the hush money as a business expense and falsified business records.On Monday, he took to his social media site Truth Social and said he does not expect a fair trial in Manhattan, where he has lived for decades."The corrupt prosecutor has no charges," he wrote. "What he has is a place where it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a fair trial (it needs to change!)"
Trump also has other serious legal problems. He is facing a civil rape and defamation lawsuit driven by writer E. Jean Carroll in Manhattan federal court starting April 25.A $250 million lawsuit by the New York Attorney General's office alleging that he, his family and his company grossly overstated his billion-dollar net worth is scheduled to go to trial in October.
