Former US President Donald Trump is due to appear on Tuesday (4) in a Manhattan court, in New York, after being accused by a grand jury last Thursday (30). The hearing is scheduled to begin at 3:15 pm (Brasília time). The estimated duration is one hour and fifteen minutes.
Authorities involved in the process try to make the operation involving the former president as discreet as possible,
The local district attorney’s office is investigating the former president over an alleged bribe payment and cover-up scheme involving adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election campaign.
Trump, who has pledged to maintain his bid for the White House in 2024, is the first current or former president in US history to face formal criminal charges.
Leading the trial will be acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who has sentenced Trump confidant Allen Weisselberg to prison, presided over the Trump Organization’s tax fraud trial and oversaw the former’s criminal fraud case. -Counselor Steve Bannon.
Trump team envisions aggressive strategy
On Monday, Trump’s legal team previewed a robust defense that will unfold against the backdrop of a furious political campaign. Key supporters are trying to use the power of the new Republican Party majority to try to interfere with the prosecution.
In an interview with the “State of the Union” program on CNN Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said the former president’s team would declare loud and clear that he is not guilty and signaled an attempt to try to prevent the case from reaching trial.
While Trump’s critics celebrated the accusation as a sign that no one is above the law, Tacopina argued that the former president was receiving worse treatment than an ordinary citizen because of his fame and political aspirations.
Tacopina also telegraphed an effort to target the credibility of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who made a $130,000 payment to Daniels and was arrested on charges of lying to Congress but who could be a central witness in any case. Trump trial.
“Michael Cohen is a convicted pathological liar. He lied to the banks, the IRS, Congress,” said Tacopina. But Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, fought back, warning in the “State of the Union” that a defense of Trump destroying his client’s reputation would not work. “My old friend Joe Tacopina … (has) the wrong strategy if he thinks he is building his entire strategy on personal attacks on Michael Cohen,” Davis said.
Operation for Judgment
The US Secret Service is expected to accompany Trump in the early afternoon to the district attorney’s office, which is located in the same building as the courthouse. He will be booked by investigators, which includes taking his fingerprints.
Normally, an identification photo would also be taken. However, sources familiar with the preparations were unsure whether it would actually happen. That’s because Trump is widely known. Authorities are also concerned about the image being leaked, which would be a violation of state law.
After the proceedings, the defendants are booked and held in cells close to the courthouse before being tried. But that won’t happen with Trump. He will be taken to the floor where the courthouse is located and then exited into a public corridor to enter the courtroom. It is also not expected that the former president will be handcuffed, as he will be surrounded by federal agents who will protect him.
Afterwards, he will be taken to the courtroom where he will be officially notified of the charges. After being indicted, Trump is expected to be released on bail.
In normal cases, a freed defendant would walk out the front door, but the Secret Service must limit the time and space the former president will be in public. So after the hearing is over, he is expected to be escorted through the back hallways of the building to the district attorney’s office, back to where his entourage will be waiting.
He will then head to the airport to return to Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he will deliver a speech.
New York mayor urges Trump supporters to ‘behave’
New York City Mayor Eric Adams addressed Donald Trump supporters directly on Monday saying city officials would not hesitate to arrest and indict anyone who breaks the law in protest of the former president’s trial.
According to Adams, the city “is not a playground for inappropriate anger”.
“While we don’t have specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene [deputada do estado da Geórgia] –known for spreading misinformation and hate speech– have stated that they are coming to the city. While in town, behave on your best behavior,” warned the Democratic mayor.
A spokesman for Greene could not immediately be reached for comment. The Republican congresswoman exposed on Twitter on Sunday (2) that her protest would be legal, in a park near the Manhattan courthouse, and that she rejects anyone who incites or commits violence.
Still according to the mayor, the Police Department has not received any threats about the indictment, but it would increase safety on public transport and police presence around the courthouse.
He also announced that roads would be closed around the city. A court official claimed that the upper floors of the courthouse will be closed shortly before Trump’s hearing.
no transmission
Media outlets will not be allowed to air former President Donald Trump’s indictment, a judge said Monday night.
New York Supreme Court Justice, Juan Merchan rejected a request from several media organizations, including CNN for permission to broadcast the historic moment.
However, five photographers will be able to take pictures of the former president and the court before the start of the hearing.
In rejecting the request for the indictment to be transmitted, Merchan nevertheless wrote about the historical significance of the proceedings in stark terms.
“That this charge involves a matter of monumental importance cannot be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting president or former president been indicted on criminal charges. The accusation of Mr. Trump has generated unparalleled public interest and media attention.”
“People rightly crave the most accurate and current information available. To suggest otherwise would be hypocritical.”
(*Published by Douglas Porto, with information from CNN International and Reuters)
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
