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NEW YORK, April 4 (PTI) — Former U.S. President Donald Trump will appear in an extra-secure Manhattan courthouse Tuesday on charges of making hush money payments to a porn star ahead of the 2016 presidential election in exchange for his creation of Historic criminal charges for her silence.
Trump, the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges, will appear before Judge Juan Merchant. US media quoted Trump’s lawyer as saying that the 76-year-old Republican leader will target the White House for the second time in 2024 and he will not plead guilty.
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Trump flew his Boeing 757 from Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to New York City and arrived at LaGuardia Airport on Monday.
His motorcade then drove to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, where he spent the night.
Streets around the high-end Trump Tower have been cordoned off, with a heavy police presence in and around the area.
The former president waved to dozens of his supporters as he emerged from the SUV and was immediately escorted into the building.
After the court appearance, Trump will fly back to Florida immediately and will speak at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in the evening.
The arraignment proceedings are expected to be brief. The charges in the indictment will be read to him at a hearing, which will last about 10 to 15 minutes. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in making payments to Stormy Daniels, 44, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
According to US media reports, Trump faces more than 30 charges related to commercial fraud in the indictment.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s investigation, which began while Trump was still in the White House, involves a $130,000 payment made by his then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels in late October 2016, days before the presidential election, to get her Shut up made its alleged extramarital affair with Trump public a decade ago. Trump has denied the incident.
Trump is not expected to be handcuffed and he will be surrounded by armed federal agents to protect him.
Investigators will register Trump, which includes taking his fingerprints. Usually, a mugshot is taken.
On Monday, Trump’s lawyers urged Judge Merchance not to allow cameras into the courtroom.
“We believe the media’s request should be denied because it would create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and be inconsistent with President Trump’s presumption of innocence,” his lawyers said in a statement to Murray. In a letter from Judge Shang.
The judge said Monday night that the news media would not be allowed to air Trump’s arraignment, but he would allow some photographers to take pictures in court before the proceedings officially begin.
“Witch hunt,” Trump, a Republican, wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly before setting off from his home in Florida on Monday.
The indictment comes as Trump faces legal hurdles in other potential criminal cases. Trump is currently the front-runner among all announced and potential contenders for the 2024 Republican White House nomination. But there is nothing in U.S. law that prevents a convicted candidate from running and serving as president — even while behind bars.
Trump has been impeached twice by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.
Trump and his aides are using the indictment to irritate his supporters and bolster his 2024 re-election bid.
“It’s hard to believe I’m going to be arrested tomorrow for the most disgraceful witch hunt in the history of our country,” said a Trump campaign email titled “Tomorrow, I’ll be Arrested,” as it urged voters to “contribute ’” His campaign has suffered given that “the fate of our republic” is “at stake.”
Trump’s team claims that in the 24 hours after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “had an unprecedented witch hunt on the president and blatantly interfered in the 2024 election” against the leading Republican presidential candidate, he “raised the over $4 million”.
President Joe Biden, who is on a trip to Minnesota, did not comment on the legal battles facing his predecessor. Speaking with reporters in Minneapolis, he exuded confidence that law and order in New York City will be maintained.
“I have confidence in the NYPD,” said Biden, a Democrat.
Alina Habba, who has represented Trump in a number of civil matters, met the former president in New York today and said: “He’s in good spirits. He’s the same as usual, to be honest. He’s ready. To go in and do what he needs to do tomorrow.”
Haba, who appeared on “Fox News,” was asked about Trump’s “game plan” for Tuesday’s Manhattan court appearance, saying, “Everything is laid out.”
She added, “Barring any surprises, I think it should be smooth. We’re trying to coordinate with everyone to make sure there are no issues.”
On whether Trump could get a fair trial in Manhattan, Haba said: “No, no. I find it difficult. I want to have confidence in this state, but I have practiced for him for a few years now and have appeared in court in New York.” For a few years, I can tell you that it’s not the same as representing anyone else.”
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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