Former President Donald Trump was placed under arrest by deputy US Marshals and his booking process and that of his co-defendant Walt Nauta have been completed. The marshals are expected to take electronic copies of his fingerprints at some point during today’s proceedings. They are not expected to take a mugshot of Trump given his recognisability. The Associated Press has the story:
Trump, aide are under arrest in Miami fed court
Newslooks- MIAMI (AP)
Former President Donald Trump, is making his first court appearance Tuesday after being indicted on 37 charges related to the mishandling classified documents. The indictment marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president faces criminal charges by the federal government he once oversaw.
Trump and an aide charged as a co-conspirator have been booked in Miami federal court.
That’s according to the U.S. Marshals Service, which said Trump and Walt Nauta had been booked shortly after they arrived Tuesday afternoon.
Both men are expected to appear at the defense table shortly on charges that they wrongly held onto classified documents.
The lawyer representing Walt Nauta, an aide to former President Donald Trump, arrived earlier at the federal courthouse ahead of today’s hearing.
Stanley Woodward, who represents Nauta, entered the courthouse separately from Nauta, who traveled in Trump’s motorcade to the court.
Nauta also is scheduled to appear before the magistrate judge today.
Attorneys for Trump, Chris Kise and Todd Blanche, are expected to appear with the former president during today’s arraignment.
Donald Trump has arrived at the federal courthouse in Miami, Florida, for an unprecedented and historic court appearance as the first former president to face federal charges in US history.
Trump is expected to be taken into custody and placed under arrest by US Marshals and arraigned during a court hearing before a magistrate judge. He’s expected to plead not guilty to the charges.
Special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump in a 37-count indictment last week, alleging that Trump mishandled classified documents brought to his Mar-a-Lago resort and engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Trump’s co-defendant, Walt Nauta, traveled with the former president to the courthouse in a separate vehicle. Nauta also is scheduled to appear before the magistrate judge today.
Former President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social that today is “ONE OF THE SADDEST DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY” shortly before his expected arraignment this afternoon.
“WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE!!!” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post.
Trump is currently on his way to a federal courthouse in Miami, where he will be arraigned in the case brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith. He faces 37 criminal charges related to his handling of classified documents at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort after he left office.
The area around the federal court in Miami, Florida, where former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear has been put on a “soft lockdown,”
Young noted that law enforcement is managing traffic and the crowds of people that are forming.
Miami Police Chief Manny Morales told CNN that security operations have been “very smooth so far” and that no incidents have been reported amid protests outside the courthouse.
“We’re just kind of monitoring the traffic and we’re getting in the crowd and we’re looking for individuals that might be trying to agitate other parties and we’re just keeping them separate,” the chief said. “Our bicycle response team has done a phenomenal job kind of keeping the folks at bay.”
“Everybody has been behaving as we expected,” he added. “We just want everybody to kind of peacefully demonstrate their first amendment rights, and we’ll make sure everybody gets home safe.”
Trump is placed under arrest and processed. Deputy US Marshals are expected to take Trump’s fingerprints electronically but are not expected to take a mugshot of the former president. Then Trump and his attorneys will appear before Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman for his arraignment and initial appearance. The magistrate judge will confirm with Trump that he understands his rights under the Sixth Amendment, including his right to a speedy trial.
Trump’s attorneys will likely waive a formal reading of the indictment, and the former president is expected to enter a plea of not guilty to all 37 charges.
Federal prosecutors are expected to ask the magistrate judge to limit Trump’s communications with any potential witness to guard against possible witness tampering. Trump will likely be released pending trial on personal recognizance.
Personal recognizance is a no-cost bond, which would not be a financial provision ensuring future appearances. Instead, the defendants are taken at their word they will return to court for future proceedings.
Future hearings will be held before Judge Alieen Cannon, who has been assigned to the criminal case going forward, and a preliminary hearing before Cannon could be scheduled during this initial appearance.
Unlike his arraignment in New York, it’s possible Trump won’t be seen entering or leaving the Miami courthouse Tuesday. Former Miami chief of police Jorge Colina said Monday that the courthouse has an underground garage that Trump’s motorcade is likely to use.
