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Donald Trump: Former president Donald Trump was charged in New York with making payments to a porn star during his campaign for president in 2016 to silence allegations of an adulterous relationship. He is the first former US president to face criminal charges. Now, the focus shifts to the procedure of Trump turning himself in.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said it had contacted Trump's lawyer to coordinate his surrender and arraignment.
New York has certain procedure and the defendant must go through it when facing criminal charges, irrespective of the fact whether he/she is wealthy or indigent. The defendant must give fingerprints, be photographed, answer basic questions such as their name and date of birth, and attend an arraignment. In most cases, defendants are held in custody for several hours at a minimum.
Security will accompany Trump
However, there is no established procedure when it comes to booking a former president who still has US Secret Service protection. Former presidents are provided with security by the Secret Service unless they request otherwise. As Trump has retained his Secret Service detail, agents would need to accompany him at all times.
“This would be a unique outlier,” Jeremy Saland, a defence lawyer and former prosecutor in Manhattan told mediapersons.
Trump calls it political persecution
Trump, a Republican, slammed the case on Thursday as a Democratic prosecutor's "political persecution" of an "entirely innocent individual." An official source said Trump is anticipated to surrender to authorities next week and the specifics of his surrender are still being arranged.
According to Saland, if Trump is indicted, the process is likely to be meticulously planned and relatively speedy, following the typical practice in New York of releasing the accused without bail and prioritizing security.
Saland believes that it's unlikely for a former president to be publicly displayed in handcuffs on the street or in a busy courthouse corridor.
Trump likely to surrender
Trump’s lawyers have indicated that he may surrender. There have been speculations in favour of the president fighting extradition, but such an effort would likely be unsuccessful and merely add more public spectacle to the already-humiliating drama.
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Trump may not be handcuffed. His alleged crimes are non-violent, and the ex-president is unlikely to flee. Besides, the visual impact of Trump's arraignment is massive, so that may prevent his handcuffing.
Fingerprints and mugshot
Fingerprints and a mugshot are standard parts of the booking procedure and will not be skipped in Trump’s case too.
Karen Agnifilo, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, said that Trump would then also be interviewed by detective investigators and arrested.
“And he would be issued a rap sheet reflecting this arrest, like every other person who is arrested and fingerprinted in this country,” said Agnifilo.
The former president has to appear in person for the initial booking procedure. It can be done remotely after that. It is still undecided whether Trump will appear in person for his arraignment.
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