Former President Donald Trump is expected to appear in Washington DC federal court on Thursday surrounded by law enforcement, security barriers and journalists to face justice for the grand jury indictments filed Tuesday.
Trump is charged with four counts related to the Justice Department’s investigation into his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
It is the first time in history that a president of the United States has been accused of trying to change the results of an election.
Trump is scheduled to be arraigned at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on Constitution Avenue NW at 4:00 p.m., a few blocks from the United States Capitol building that hundreds of his supporters stormed on January 6, 2021, to try to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Barriers were put up in front of the courthouse and the Capitol early Thursday morning. Yellow tape reading “US Marshal” and “do not cross” stretched along the bike rack-style barriers near the courthouse.
SECURITY MEASURES NEAR THE COURTS AND THE CAPITOL
The road closures and the crush of law enforcement officers and journalists will be apparent to anyone approaching federal court on Thursday. Dozens of journalists had lined up at the federal court as of 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, according to NBC News reported.
Law enforcement officials, including the Washington Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Capitol Police, attended the courthouse beginning Wednesday, along with numerous storefront news organizations.
“The Metropolitan Police Department is working closely with our federal law enforcement partners to monitor the situation and plan accordingly to ensure the safety of DC residents,” the agency told Telemundo 44 on Tuesday night.
US Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency is working to ensure Trump’s safety and minimize disruption to the judicial process, but declined to comment on specific plans.
“While the Secret Service does not comment on specific means or methods of protection, we have the utmost confidence in the dedication and commitment to security shared by all of our law enforcement and government partners,” the Secret Service said in an email.
The security measures come a day after 911 received a “concerning call” about a possible active shooter at a Senate office building. Armed officers in tactical gear toured congressional office buildings Wednesday afternoon but found no evidence of shooting.
Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said the call may have been false.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN COURT
Trump will be arraigned on Thursday, meaning he will face these charges before a judge for the first time. At an arraignment, a defendant learns more about his rights and the charges against him and initiates a plea.
Garrett Haake, NBC News’ chief correspondent on Capitol Hill, said it won’t be a long hearing, but it will be an important one.
Trump is expected to be ushered inside the courthouse, mostly out of public view, arraigned, and appear. It should be noted that cameras are not allowed in federal courts.
Trump is expected to plead not guilty. The former president and his allies have dismissed the charges as purely political, but his team is not expected to voice any legal arguments they have made about Trump’s First Amendment rights or legal advice they received.
However, the defense can argue for delaying court proceedings in light of the 2024 election.
“Don’t be surprised if, when they start working on the schedule for the next hearing, we see some effort to delay it,” Haake said.
ROAD CLOSURES
DC police told Telemundo 44 on Tuesday night that there will likely be road closures. The police also pointed out that the security perimeter near the judicial forum may expand and may do so without prior notice.
Until 6:30 am on Thursday, the dc police it had not disclosed information about the specific planned closures.
Follow Telemundo 44 for up-to-the-minute coverage. Click here to follow all our programs live.
