Donald Trump’s lawyer says the indicted former president will not be handcuffed when he is arrested on 30 counts, but may face fingerprints and a photo.
Donald Trump’s lawyer says the indicted former president will not be handcuffed when he is arrested on 30 counts, but could face fingerprints and a photo ID.
The former reality TV personality’s attorney Joe Tacopina, 76, confirmed the no-handcuffs deal was reached between Trump’s legal team and prosecutors in Manhattan, where the ex -US Commander-in-Chief will surrender to authorities after a grand jury vote. he is expected to face criminal charges for a silent payment of $130,000 to former porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential race.
Mr Tacopina, 56, told ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ on Friday (31.03.23) how Trump and his team were shaken by becoming the first ex-US president in history to be charged: “I feel like the rule of law died yesterday in this country, and that’s not something I’m happy about.
“It is unprecedented in the history of this country. I don’t know what to expect other than an indictment.
Trump will be arraigned on Tuesday (04.04.23) afternoon in Manhattan court, New York court officials confirmed.
He faces about 30 counts related to document fraud in the indictment, according to two sources, but the indictment itself remained sealed, as is the norm in New York. before an indictment.
Mr Tacopina added that he believed the courthouse would close when Trump arrived, before he appeared before a judge to plead not guilty.
His team is set to file motions against the indictment, arguing against “legal responsibility for this case”.
Mr Tacopina added: ‘I’m sure they’ll try to get every ounce of publicity out of this thing.
Referring to the prosecution, he stressed: “The president will not be handcuffed. I’m sure they’ll try to make sure they get some joy out of it by parading it.
He also said Trump’s Secret Service protection and New York State and New York City police “will not allow this to become a circus, at least as much as humanly possible.”
Amid fears that Trump’s indictment could spark unrest, a memo seen by NBC says New York police were told to report to work on Friday and prepare for an “unusual mess.”
Trump’s explosive indictment on Thursday (30.03.23) will swing the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, in which he leads the majority of the polls.
As the indictment was still under seal on Friday morning, it’s unclear how many charges Trump faces over the payment made to adult star Stormy, 44, but reports say the father-of-five is facing at least 30 counts of commercial fraud.
The indictment is the culmination of a years-long investigation into hidden money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels, 44, in 2016, allegedly to buy her silence over her apparent affair with Trump. .
Stormy – born Stephanie Gregory Clifford – claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006.
He denies having an affair and called it a ‘witch hunt’, but admitted to ordering his then attorney, 56-year-old Michael Cohen, to pay Daniels $130,000 for his silence.
The adult star claimed Cohen used “intimidation and coercion tactics” to get her to sign the statement denying her affair with Trump.
Cohen told a Manhattan federal court that Trump ordered him to make the payments and was eventually sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges stemming from his part in the payments.
Trump also faces a range of other legal issues – including over the Jan. 6 attack on Congress, his keeping of classified records, his business dealings and a defamation lawsuit stemming from an alleged rape by the writer E Jean Carroll, 79, which Trump denied. .