Trump to fly to New York for court surrender amid tight security

NEW YORK/PALM BEACH, Florida, April 3 (Reuters) – Former U.S. President Donald Trump is about to fly from Florida to New York Metropolis on Monday, forward of his scheduled arraignment associated to hush cash paid to a porn star earlier than the 2016 election, as safety tightens in Manhattan.

Trump, the primary former U.S. president to face prison costs, is because of be arraigned, fingerprinted and photographed on the downtown Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday. His attorneys have mentioned he’ll enter a plea of not responsible.

The precise costs included within the grand jury indictment haven’t been disclosed; Tuesday’s arraignment marks Trump’s first look in courtroom and in entrance of a decide within the case.

The Republican businessman-turned-politician plans to journey from his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Seashore noon on Monday, arriving later within the day in New York and spending the night time at Trump Tower in Manhattan earlier than arriving on the courthouse on Tuesday morning, an adviser mentioned.

A courtroom official mentioned the arraignment is deliberate for two:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) on Tuesday. Trump then will return to Florida and ship remarks at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), his workplace mentioned.

New York police in the course of the weekend started erecting barricades alongside the sting of the sidewalks round Trump Tower and the Manhattan Prison Court docket constructing downtown, and another courtrooms shall be cleared.

Demonstrations are anticipated at these websites and police vowed to be ready. “Officers have been positioned on alert and the division stays prepared to reply as wanted and can guarantee everybody is ready to peacefully train their rights,” the New York Police Division mentioned in a press release.

Different courtrooms on the courthouse’s increased flooring shall be shut down forward of the arraignment as a part of the safety precautions, a courtroom official mentioned.

U.S. Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted an invite on Sunday to hitch her at a protest close to the courthouse on Tuesday, saying “They’re not coming after President Trump, they’re coming after us, he’s simply of their manner.”

TRUMP LAWYERS HOPE TO DISMISS

Earlier than the indictment, the grand jury heard proof a few $130,000 fee to grownup movie actress Stormy Daniels within the waning days of the 2016 presidential marketing campaign. Daniels has mentioned she was paid to maintain silent a few sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe resort in 2006. Trump denies the affair.

Trump, 76, served as president from 2017 to 2021 and in November launched a bid to regain the presidency in 2024, aiming to disclaim Democratic President Joe Biden a second time period in workplace.

Phrase of the indictment, arising from an investigation led by Manhattan’s Democratic district legal professional, Alvin Bragg, surfaced final Thursday. Trump has referred to as himself harmless and he and his allies have portrayed the costs as politically motivated.

Joe Tacopina, a Trump lawyer, mentioned on Sunday he expects extra particulars surrounding the arraignment to be resolved on Monday and famous that the Secret Service, which protects former presidents, additionally has a job to play on Tuesday. Tacopina mentioned it was unlikely there shall be a “perp stroll” – perp being shorthand for perpetrator – wherein a person who has been charged is paraded in entrance of the information media, due to safety issues.

Tacopina added that Trump’s attorneys will “dissect” the indictment as soon as it’s made public and can have a look at “each potential concern” to problem, including that he anticipates in some unspecified time in the future making a movement to dismiss the costs.

“I truthfully do not understand how that is going to go – hopefully as easily as potential – after which we start the battle to proper this fallacious,” Tacopina instructed CNN’s “State of the Union” program, talking concerning the arraignment.

Trump is predicted to seem earlier than Justice Juan Merchan, the decide who additionally presided over a prison trial final 12 months wherein Trump’s actual property firm was convicted of tax fraud. Trump himself was not charged in that case.

A courtroom official mentioned on Sunday that the decide has requested each side to submit their positions on whether or not cameras and video ought to be allowed within the courtroom and can determine on the problem on Monday.

Reporting by Wealthy McKay in Palm Seashore, Florida and Karen Freifeld in New York; Extra reporting by Jonathan Allen, Jeenah Moon and David Dee Delgado in New York
Writing by Will Dunham
Modifying by Heather Timmons and Matthew Lewis

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.