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The former president is summoned in the Manhattan court to be present at the official reading of the charges for which the US justice system blames the magnate for bribing the porn actress Stormy Daniels to buy her silence during the 2016 presidential campaign. The authorities New Yorkers are already cordoning off the area, waiting for citizen mobilizations in favor of the former president and to avoid riots.
In addition to the appearance, the authorities will take the fingerprints of the former president, who will also be photographed to include the images in his official file. Five outside photographers will also be admitted into the court, although Trump’s lawyers have expressed their denial of the situation.
The case revolves around an alleged bribe by the mogul to the porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, which later led him to win the elections. Apparently, the then candidate paid Daniels to buy her silence and to prevent it from coming to light that he had had sexual relations with her, something that would have affected her image.
Donald Trump has the opportunity to plead guilty to the charges that are going to be presented to him, however, the now presidential candidate and his legal team have declared on multiple occasions that Trump is not guilty, so the chances that he will plead not guilty they are very tall.
“It’s not going to be a long day in court,” Joseph Tapina, one of the former president’s lawyers, told local media. A statement that ends up confirming that the former president is going to plead his innocence, which would lead to a long criminal process of at least a year.
Expert voices predict a controversial and tense day in New York, since the controversial figure of Donald Trump raises extremely opposing positions in the inhabitants of his hometown. Here are the biggest moments in Manhattan court
Opponents and supporters of Trump begin to arrive
Trump should be in court at 2:15 p.m., US East Coast time, according to the appearance plans, and some citizen contingents are already outside the court to express their opinions, to favor or against, of the former president at the time of his arrival in the vicinity.
Carrying signs that read “Trump lies all the time,” members of Trump’s opposition contingent have demonstrated in front of the court, ahead of the arrival of the 2024 Republican presidential candidate.
Republican Congressman George Santos joined the party where Trump supporters are and expressed his support for the former president. “I want to support the president, just because I think this is unprecedented, and it’s a bad day for democracy,” Santos said.
The arrival of the prosecutor at the court
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrived at the courthouse Tuesday morning to prepare everything the former president’s arraignment hearing requires.
Bragg has been a target of constant criticism from Donald Trump and his supporters, arguing that the prosecutor is leading a political manhunt against the businessman and that his goal is to prevent Trump from joining the 2024 presidential race.
The prosecutor was involved in last year’s sentence against the Trump family real estate company, accused of tax evasion. Although at that time, the former president was not directly pointed out by justice.
With Reuters and AP
