United States: New York prepares to welcome Donald Trump for a historic court appearance

Anti-Trump protesters in Manhattan, March 23, 2023. © REUTERS - MIKE SEGAR

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

New York is preparing for a historic court appearance: for the first time in the history of the United States, a former president is impeached and will face a judge. And already yesterday, the front lines were drawn; Throughout the day, his lawyer made the rounds of Sunday television political broadcasts. Traveling a former president - so controversial - is all logistics and a lot of security.

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With our correspondent in New York, Carrie Nooten

After leaving Mar-a Lago, Donald Trump will spend the night in his apartment in Trump Tower, on Fifth Avenue this Monday night. The entrance to the tower is already a real bunker, and the whole building is already under the protection of the secret services. Tomorrow, Donald Trump will make the 6.5 km to the court in an official procession. And different security services had to coordinate: the New York Police Department (NYPD), court officers, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the Secret Service. Because the authorities expect demonstrators around the court.

Trump negotiated not to be handcuffed

Once he walks through the doors of the court, Donald Trump will go directly to the fifteenth floor to face the judge. He will be enumerated the many charges - there would be at least thirty. His fingerprints will then be recorded, but he has negotiated not to be handcuffed. It is not yet known, however, if he will be taken his judicial identity photo, the famous mugshot of the accused in the United States. And then, several media outlets asked the judge to exceptionally allow cameras in the courtroom; We will see tomorrow whether this has been accepted. In any case, Donald Trump will not speak in New York: he has planned to return to Florida very quickly, once he has pleaded "not guilty" before the New York judge. And he is expected to speak tomorrow night from his private club.

« Let the procedure run its course »

According to US media, the case should be entrusted to Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the Trump Organization's 2022 tax fraud trial. This magistrate "hates me," Donald Trump wrote Friday. But will the former president ask for another judge? CNN asked Donald Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina: "We will take the indictment, evaluate all of our legal options and pursue each of them accurately. This is a case of political persecution. Had he not been a presidential candidate, he would not have been charged. But, you know, I have no problem with this judge.

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Joe Tacopina continues: "My client has the right to have a problem with everything. He was persecuted politically. He gets carried away because he is the victim. I have no reason to believe that the judge will be biased. I have not had the opportunity to discuss this with my client. I think we have to let the procedure take its course."

► Read also: At Mar-a-Lago, with supporters of Donald Trump: "They want to prevent him from running"

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  • United States
  • Donald Trump
  • Justice
  • Society
  • Elections USA 2024