Anne Toulouse (in the United States) with AFP, edited by Laura Laplaud 07:32, 04 April 2023

Arrived Monday afternoon in New York, Donald Trump is preparing to cross the few kilometers that separate him from the court. An unprecedented event since it is the first time he has found himself in front of a courtroom and the first time that an American president appears in court.

Donald Trump is preparing to live Tuesday what no other former US president has known: indicted in a case of payment to a star of the X, he will appear in court in New York during an unprecedented hearing that divides and fascinates America. The 76-year-old Republican, candidate for the 2024 presidential election, is summoned before the judge at 14:15 (18:15 GMT) to be notified of the charges against him.

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How will the hearing go?

Anyone who has watched American series like "Law and Order" is familiar with what's going to happen on Tuesday. Donald Trump will appear before police officials who should take his fingerprints and photograph him to officially enter his case into the judicial system.

Then, it will go much faster for him than for ordinary mortals. For security reasons, all areas around the courtroom will be evacuated. And Donald Trump, like all presidents, is escorted for life by the Secret Service. He will therefore be brought immediately before the judge.

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At this point, it is essentially the lawyers who are speaking. Those of Donald Trump will try to demonstrate that the file does not hold. Those of the prosecutor will ask that the soap opera continue in court. In short, a routine operation, apart from the personality of the accused and the unknown of the charges against him. The indictment will not be made public until the time of appearance. The major American television networks will then have lawyers stationed near the courtroom who will rush to analyze the case and translate the legal jargon into intelligible language.