For the first time in US history, an ex-president is in the dock. Once there, Donald Trump will meet familiar faces.
The criminal procedure in New York requires the defendant to be present every day of the trial. It could take up to eight weeks before a verdict against Trump is announced. There is even a possibility of a prison sentence of several years, which could also be suspended. The trial will begin on Monday with the selection of jury members. A total of 34 charges are being negotiated. Before the verdict comes, Trump will have to endure a few more or less unpleasant encounters in the New York courtroom. The process takes observers in the USA and beyond back to 2016. The 77-year-old is accused in his hometown of New York in connection with hush money payments to the erotic actress Stephanie Clifford, better known by her stage name Stormy Daniels. In the middle of the election campaign, he didn't need news of an affair with a porn star while his wife Melania Trump was heavily pregnant with their first child.