Indicted last week, Trump is the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges, over a case involving a 2016 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He has said he is innocent and is due to plead not guilty.
Key points
- The arraignment, where Trump will be in court to hear charges and have a chance to enter a plea, is planned for 2.15 pm (11.45pm IST) on Tuesday.
- The District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, who led the investigation, will give a news conference afterwards.
- Trump will return to Florida and deliver remarks from his Mar-a-Lago resort at 8.15 p.m. on Tuesday (around 5.45 am on Wednesday IST).
Here are the top developments of the day:
Trump to face 34 felony counts
The specific charges reached by a grand jury are due to be disclosed on Tuesday. Sources, however, said Trump is likely to face 34 felony counts for falsification of business records.
Any trial is at least more than a year away, legal experts said.
Trump to plead not guilty
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said the former president’s appearance in court for Tuesday’s arraignment would be brief because the processing “does not take long”.
“We know the basis of the indictment and the factual allegations in the indictment,” Tacopina said, adding Trump would maintain his innocence.
“One thing I can assure you as I sit here today, there’ll be no guilty plea in this case. That’s one thing I can guarantee you,” he said.
Tacopina appeared to predict the case would ultimately be dismissed. “I don’t think this case is going to see a juror,” he said. “I think there’s a legal challenge that will be made and should be made successfully.”
Authorities prepare for historic moment
Police over the weekend began erecting barricades near Trump Tower – where Trump stayed on Monday – and the Manhattan Criminal Court building, with demonstrations expected at both sites on Tuesday.
Mayor Eric Adams warned potential rabble-rousers to behave. “Our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger,” he told reporters.
President Joe Biden, a Democrat who is widely expected to seek re-election and face a potential rematch against Trump, said he had faith in the New York police.
The case has divided people in New York, where Trump’s name is emblazoned on buildings related to his business ventures.
Spectators line up
Spectators lined up overnight to get a seat inside the courtroom, or even just a glimpse of Trump. The building was surrounded by barricades, and people were undergoing layers of security checks.
The nation’s 45th commander in chief was expected to be escorted from New York City’s Trump Tower — also surrounded by barricades — into a lower Manhattan courthouse by the Secret Service. The building was surrounded by barricades and was under heavy security.
The porn star hush-money case
The Manhattan grand jury that indicted Trump heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign.
01:16
Who is the porn star behind Donald Trump’s indictment
Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006.
Trump denies a sexual relationship but has acknowledged reimbursing his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen for the payment.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance law violations and was sentenced to three years in prison.
He testified in the Manhattan investigation last month.
(with inputs from agencies)Watch Donald Trump in New York: Will he be handcuffed in court?