New York, USA.- Donald Trump will appear in court on Tuesday to be indicted on criminal charges stemming from payments to silence women during his 2016 campaign.
Trump, 76, is the first former (or sitting) US President to face criminal charges.
Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury last week in a case stemming from a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, though specific charges have yet to be unsealed.
Trump’s lawyers have said he will plead not guilty in the case. This Tuesday morning, as the helicopters circled overhead, the streets outside the courthouse were packed with the press corps lining up for tickets to the courtroom where the former president and potential 2024 candidate will be arraigned later.
Dozens of protesters gathered in a park in front of the courthouse, both supporters and opponents of the former president, shouting at each other from strategically placed metal barricades to keep the peace.
Trump is likely to arrive before 2:00 p.m. (local time) at the Manhattan Criminal Courts building, where he will be arrested and fingerprinted.
However, special accommodations will be made for the former President: he will have little time in custody before his court appearance, and he likely won’t be handcuffed or mugged.
The judge of Colombian origin Juan Merchán – who was also an instructor in another case against the Trump Organization for tax fraud at the end of last year – will read him the charges for which he will be prosecuted, which until now have remained sealed.
According to AFP, the judge will only briefly allow the press to take photos of Trump in the courtroom before the start of the hearing.
