- here we go again.
- Donald Trump has been indicted by federal prosecutors and must appear in court.
- I probably won’t be able to take pictures inside the court this time.
Donald Trump has been indicted.
Yes again.
This time it’s even more serious.
In April, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office accused porn star Stormy Daniels of falsifying business records by paying him to keep her mouth shut ahead of the 2016 election. bottom.
This second case was filed by federal prosecutors led by Special Counsel Jack Smith. His team investigated Trump’s buying up of government documents at his Mar-a-Lago home after he left office.
No ex-president has ever been indicted for a crime, let alone twice, much less re-indicted by the branch of government he once led, and no one is campaigning to regain control. .
We are in uncharted territory. Here are some questions you may have and the best answers we have at this time.
Will Trump be arrested again?
yes. If you are criminally charged, you must be detained and appear in court. That’s how it works.
A high-profile defendant like Trump is less likely to react violently to an arrestee, so prosecutors are right to warn their lawyers.
That happened Thursday when a Justice Department attorney told Trump’s legal team that he was indicted. President Trump posted on Truth Social that he will appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday afternoon and appear before a judge.
Given that Trump is running for president, is very high profile and is being followed everywhere by Secret Service agents, it is unlikely that he will escape, so he will be held in prison before trial. cannot be expected to be They are also less likely to need bail, but may need a judge’s permission before traveling abroad.
how about a mugshot?
perhaps. The Department of Justice routinely takes photographs of criminal defendants. But it is their policy not to release them. So if they took a mugshot, we wouldn’t be able to see it.
Florida-based attorney and legal commentator Tamara Holder told Insider, “Usually when you’re detained, you’re photographed.” “There is no law requiring it, but it is certainly part of the process and procedure,” she said.
The agency may choose not to take photographs of faces at all. That’s what happened with Trump’s Manhattan affair. chose to take nothing.
President Trump probably won’t be handcuffed when he appears in court, given that there is little security risk with Federal Marshals and Secret Service agents standing by.US Secret Intelligence Service and President Trump’s Staff It is said that they were supposed to meet on Friday to discuss arrangements.
The district attorney’s office did not let Trump handcuff him in the Manhattan case. Another politician facing federal charges, New York Representative George Santos, was also not handcuffed when he first appeared in court last month.
ok — but can i get it Any picture?
Sorry, probably not.
Federal courts tend to be very strict with records that contain electronic devices and photographs.
The South Florida District Court, where arraignment will take place, especiallyrequires even qualified journalists to “agree in writing not to record or transmit in any way any audio, still photographs, or video from inside the court or courtroom.”
Trump’s Manhattan lawsuit is being held in state court, where photography is allowed at the judge’s discretion. In the case, the judge allowed a small group of designated pool photographers to take pictures for about a minute after Trump sat in front of him.
But hey, you’ll probably get some really cool courtroom illustrations.
If he goes to jail, will the Secret Service stay with him?
Probably so.
why florida?
I do not understand. Mr. Smith was preaching before a grand jury in Washington, D.C., but the grand jury appeared to be moving quickly before witnesses suddenly testified before a Miami grand jury instead.
Ultimately, such jurisdictional issues are up to the prosecutor and judge, who may decide to move the case elsewhere.
According to Holder, the fact that Smith filed the lawsuit in Florida, a right-wing stronghold in President Trump’s “safe zone,” has led Trump to say the Justice Department is pursuing politically motivated prosecutions. It could help soften accusations of
“So now all of a sudden the Biden administration is coming to Mar-a-Lago’s resting place, Friendly Florida, and Ron DeSantis is taking Disney’s land rights,” Holder said. “I mean, for someone like Donald Trump, there’s probably no friendlier place than Florida.”
what would this be?
Great question.
The Justice Department will almost certainly push to end the trial as soon as possible before the 2024 election. If Trump wins in 2024, holding a criminal trial would tread even deeper uncharted territory, raising unexamined constitutional questions about the separation of powers and Trump’s ability to pardon.
But Trump’s lawyers will have trouble scheduling the case. The Manhattan District Attorney’s trial is scheduled for March. Another New York Attorney General’s civil case involving Trump Organization finances is set to go to trial in October. There is also a civil trial scheduled for involvement in the multi-level marketing allegations, which is scheduled to be heard in Manhattan federal court in January. Not to mention other criminal investigations and pending civil cases.
Judges are generally reluctant to change already scheduled trial dates, but ultimately it is the judge’s responsibility to manage the case files and court calendar.
