New York - Former US President Donald Trump appeared in court on Tuesday will appear in court on Tuesday to be fingerprinted, photographed and formally charged in a watershed moment ahead of next year's presidential election.
Trump, 76, the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges was indicted by the Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump last week, in a case stemming from a 2016 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams has confirmed that there are no credible threats in connection with the arraignment of former President Donald Trump today. Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for the mayor, reiterated Adams' earlier statement that the New York Police Department (NYPD) is fully prepared to respond to any situation that may arise.
Mayor Adams emphasized at a press conference on Monday that there were no credible threats ahead of the arraignment and urged people to exercise restraint. Although there may be some individuals considering disruptive behavior, the NYPD is ready to maintain order and ensure public safety.
The specific charges have not been disclosed, but Yahoo News reported that he would face 34 felony counts for falsification of business records. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and is due to plead not guilty.
The arraignment was planned for 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday and was likely to be brief, with Trump's lawyers stating that it won't be a long day in court.
Although Trump has drawn thousands of fervent supporters to rallies across the country, it was unclear how many would travel to his heavily Democratic hometown where automobile travel is difficult.
Five photographers will be admitted to the courtroom before the arraignment started to take pictures for several minutes, despite Trump's lawyers urging the judge to keep them out.
Some of Trump's supporters and detractors gathered outside the courthouse ahead of the arraignment amid tight security, and there were reports of a scuffle between Trump supporters and a woman holding a banner critical of Trump.
Manhattan’s civic center was relatively calm with the scheduled arraignment of former President Donald Trump, dozens of immigrants outside the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) district office in Federal Plaza were left feeling anxious and confused.
Many with immigration interviews scheduled for Tuesday found out the USCIS offices were closed due to security threats related to the Trump proceedings. The irony was not lost on some of them that a politician known for his anti-immigrant stance had yet again managed to impact their lives, even on the day of his arrest on criminal charges.
Gloria, a 52-year-old undocumented migrant from Bosa, Colombia, who had an interview scheduled Tuesday for a political asylum claim, said she was turned away despite doing the right thing, reoprted CNN. She arrived in New York a month ago after crossing the border from Mexico to San Diego.
The immigrants were handed sheets of paper instructing them to reschedule their interviews online, while some immigration attorneys criticized the security guards for not letting them in with their clients.
Trump will be facing a well-experienced judge, Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan. Judge Merchan has previously sentenced Allen Weisselberg, a close confidant of Trump, to prison, presided over the Trump Organization tax fraud trial, and overseen Steve Bannon's criminal fraud case.
Despite his reputation as a "tough" judge, Judge Merchan is known to be fair to all parties. According to attorneys who have appeared before him, he does not tolerate disruptions or delays in court proceedings.
Nicholas Gravante, Weisselberg's attorney, described Judge Merchan as a man of his word who treated him and his colleagues with the utmost respect. While he is tough when necessary, the judge is also known to be compassionate. For example, he gave a Senegalese man who raped and murdered his girlfriend a 25-years-to-life sentence.