The reading of the indictment against Donald Trump in New York becomes a spectacle.
The former US President could theoretically face a long prison sentence.
Trump
rages after
indictment
: Former US President insults prosecutor
Trump
pleads
“not guilty”
: he is charged with that
Donald Trump
in
court
: First ex-US president to face criminal charges
In this
news ticker
we accompany the indictment against Donald Trump for you.
Update from April 5, 8:55 a.m .:
Donald Trump has made his first appearance in court.
But what's next?
After all, the public prosecutor's office accuses him of falsifying business documents in 34 cases.
This is not a trivial offense, Trump faces a maximum prison sentence of four years per charge.
In theory, then, he could be sentenced to 136 years in prison.
Realistically, if found guilty, he should receive a much shorter sentence.
But how likely is it that Trump will be found guilty?
Although he faces massive allegations, he could end up going unpunished.
According to experts, the New York prosecutor's office has never linked a charge of forging business records with an election violation involving a presidential or federal election campaign.
So it seems quite possible that the court will dismiss the case or reduce the severity of the charge from a felony ("felony") to a misdemeanor ("misdemeanor").
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A protester holds a placard in front of Trump Tower in New York.
"Lock him up," it says.
But whether Donald Trump will end up in prison is questionable.
© Corey Sipkin/ AP/dpa
In addition, the public prosecutor's office has other questions.
"Was it really Trump's intention to deceive or did he rely on bad legal advice?" Former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Lance Fletcher told
ABC
.
And further: "If the money came from his personal account, was it then used to solve a personal problem?" According to Fletcher, however, the alleged use of shell companies and recordings of conversations between Trump and his former attorney Michael Cohen seem to show that Trump was aware of making "improper" payments.
But the process will take a long time.
Before a trial there is a series of hearings and the opportunity to make various applications.
Trump's lawyers could try to delay the processes and bring a process to burst.
Trump himself is not scheduled to appear in court again until December 4th.
Prosecutors suggested January 2024 as the start date for a possible trial against Trump, while the defense pushed for a later date - in late spring 2024.
Trump rages after the indictment – and insults the prosecutor
Update from April 5, 3.40 a.m .:
Donald Trump has described the charges against him in a hush money affair as an “insult to our country”.
"I never thought something like this could happen in America," Trump said on Tuesday evening (local time) in a speech to numerous supporters at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
"The only crime I have committed is to have fearlessly defended our nation from those who would destroy our country."
In his 25-minute speech, Trump described Manhattan's senior attorney general, Alvin Bragg, as a "criminal."
The responsible New York judge Juan Merchan would "hate him," said the 76-year-old Republican, who wants to run again in the 2024 presidential election.
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Donald Trump makes statement after indictment at Mar-a-Lago Club.
© JOE RAEDLE/afp
Charges against Donald Trump: dozens of false entries in business documents
Update from April 4, 10:28 p.m .:
With the indictment reading in New York on Tuesday, the individual charges against Donald Trump became known for the first time.
Trump is accused of working with others to systematically try to identify, buy and hide negative information about him in order to increase his chances of being elected, prosecutors said in a statement.
US media such as
ABC
News and
CNN
published the full 16-page indictment.
The indictment goes on to say that Trump went to great lengths to hide all of this.
For this he made dozens of false entries in business documents.
Attempts to violate electoral laws are among the criminal activities he has tried to cover up.
Prosecutor Alvin Bragg said Tuesday, "We cannot allow New York City corporations to tamper with their records to cover up criminal behavior."
Trump's lawyers, however, rejected the allegations against their client.
"It's sad and we're going to fight it," one of his attorneys, Todd Blanche, said after the indictment.
It's not a good day.
Regarding Trump's state of mind, he said, "He's frustrated, he's upset, but I'll tell you what, he's motivated."
The trial of the former US President could begin in January 2024.
The responsible judge Juan Merchan said on Tuesday at the indictment reading, as a journalist from the AFP news agency reported on site.
34 counts: Trump charged with falsifying business records
Update from April 4, 9:50 p.m .:
The prosecutor’s office in New York charges former US President Donald Trump with falsifying business documents in 34 cases.
The public prosecutor's office in New York said on Tuesday that he wanted to hide harmful information and illegal activities before and after the 2016 presidential election.
Update from April 4, 9:35 p.m .:
According to several US media, Donald Trump left the courtroom in Manhattan after his indictment on Tuesday.
He made no statement, but left the building and got into his motorcade.
The 76-year-old Republican was previously expected to address cameras outside the Manhattan courtroom after his arraignment.
According to CNN,
this was
announced by Chris Kise, one of Trump's lawyers.
34 counts of charges: Trump probably pleads “not guilty” – waiver of statement raises suspicion
Update from April 4, 9:11 p.m .:
According to media reports, the 76-year-old pleaded “not guilty” when the unprecedented indictment against former US President Donald Trump was read out in New York.
The broadcasters CBS and NBC reported on Tuesday from the current session at the court in New York, which took place behind closed doors.
Cameras were not allowed to broadcast the events in the courtroom live.
Some journalists were admitted, but were not allowed to drop information from the room.
The indictment was to be read out there and, according to the broadcasters, contains 34 charges.
So far, the indictment was kept under lock and key - the exact details of the allegations are therefore still unclear.
The case is related to hush money payments to a porn actress.
Trump is the first ex-president in US history to face criminal charges.
Contrary to what many expected, Trump also refrained from making a statement before entering the courtroom.
"We were under the impression that he would make a brief statement before going into court and I think the fact that he didn't is remarkable," former White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin said. to the US broadcaster CNN.
"That suggests to me that what he saw in the indictment might go further than he anticipated."
Donald Trump enters courtroom in Manhattan
Update from April 4, 8:41 p.m .:
According to several US media, Donald Trump has entered the courtroom in which the trial will now take place.
Initially, he was taken into police custody after his arrival.
Trump is still expected to plead not guilty at the hearing.
Around 30 charges are to be brought against Trump - none are officially known so far.
The individual points will be announced when the grand jury, i.e. the jury, publishes the indictment.
This basically revolves around a hush money payment by Trump to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden's spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, said in Washington that the indictment reading in New York was not the focus of Biden's attention.
The president will certainly hear some of the news when he has time, "but that's not the focus for him."
Ex-President Trump comments on the way to the court: "It seems so surreal, wow"
Update from April 4, 7:57 p.m .:
Donald Trump apparently used his time while driving to the court in Manhattan to publish a post on his self-founded social media platform Truth Social: “On the way to Lower Manhattan to the courthouse .
It seems so SURREAL - WOW they're going to arrest me.
I can't believe this is happening in America.
MAGA!” writes Trump.
"MAGA" is an abbreviation for his slogan "Make America great again".
Donald Trump arrived in court for the indictment – speculation about a possible mugshot
Update from April 4, 7:29 p.m .:
Former President Donald Trump left Trump Tower around 1 p.m. (local time) and made a motorcade on the way to the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, where the trial will take place.
A convoy of black vehicles could be seen on TV images from several US media.
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Donald Trump, former President of the USA, leaves Trump Tower to go to the Criminal Court in Manhattan.
© Corey Sipkin/AP/dpa
As the US broadcaster CNN reports, Trump has now arrived at the prosecutor's office in Manhattan, where he was arrested and is in police custody before his imminent indictment.
Trump is expected to be fingerprinted as part of the arrest, though it's unclear if a mugshot will be taken of him.
Apparently, the ex-president had previously expressed his interest in such a photo privately.
This is likely because Trump and his team saw the trial as a way to support his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.
Far-right congresswoman joins Trump rally
April 4 update, 6:08 p.m.:
Far-right Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has arrived at the pro-Trump rally near the Manhattan courthouse.
Dozens of reporters gathered around Greene when she arrived.
Jess Bidgood, a reporter for the Boston Globe, joked on Twitter, "I would estimate that the ratio of reporters to protesters here at the Marjorie Taylor Greene rally is 1,000:1." Greene is reportedly planning on pro-Trump - Rally of the New York Young Republican Club to give a speech.
Donald Trump in court today: ex-president rages in advance about the judge and his family
Update from April 4, 5:09 p.m .:
Before the appointment at 7:15 p.m. CET, Donald Trump speaks through the social media service Truth Social.
He requests that the trial be moved from Manhattan to Staten Island.
The new location is "very fair and safe," said Trump.
Manhattan is a "very unfair place" because there are areas where only 1 percent voted Republican.
Trump also thinks the judge should be changed.
Juan Merchan and his family are "Trump haters".
He was an "unfair disaster" in a previous Trump case - his daughter works for the Biden-Harris campaign, Trump said.
He had previously spoken out against the judge.
Trump then made some angry posts about TV commentators and pundits who he felt had nothing to say.
Update from April 4, 4:15 p.m .:
Helicopters are circling over the Trump Tower in Manhattan, barricades have been erected on the street, dozens of press representatives and isolated demonstrators are waiting spellbound: New York is preparing for the reading of the indictment against former US President Donald Trump for a historic day.
Due to the historical event, there was a real state of emergency on some streets in downtown New York.
The evening before the indictment, people were queuing in front of the courthouse in south Manhattan to get into the courtroom.
Barriers were erected around the building and media representatives from all over the world set up their cameras.
Trump indictment in New York: statement against advisor advice expected
Update from April 4, 3:23 p.m .:
Donald Trump’s appearance in court is eagerly awaited.
One of his attorneys has now told CNN that he expects Trump to give interviews in the courtroom corridor before and after the hearing.
Lawyer Chris Kise told the broadcaster that he met the ex-president in Trump Tower that night: "The president is resilient, optimistic and as determined as ever to fight the drivers of injustice," said Kise.
Advisors had warned Trump in advance not to make a statement.
Any unplanned remark could hurt his case.
At the very least, advisers had hoped Trump would wait until he was back in Florida to make a statement.
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Donald Trump, former President of the USA, arrives at Trump Tower in New York.
Trump arrived in New York ahead of his arraignment date.
© Yuki Iwamura/dpa
Update from April 04, 2023, 2:15 p.m .
: New York awakes – it is 8:15 a.m. (local time).
The building in which the indictment for ex-President Donald Trump is to be read out on Tuesday was already closely guarded throughout the night.
Thousands of police officers, thousands of media representatives are expected in New York, as well as Trump fans and opponents who have called for demonstrations.
Trump hearing: Trump arrived in New York
First report from April 04, 2023, 11:41 a.m .:
New York (USA) – Former US President Donald Trump has been in New York since Monday and is on his way to the hearing on Tuesday: Trump must be the first ex-president in the history of the United States in a criminal case.
The district attorney's office in Manhattan announced the indictment against the Republican on Thursday.
Its reading in Manhattan, to which Trump must appear, is scheduled for this Tuesday (April 4).
Donald Trump had already described the possible procedure as a "witch hunt" - the USA was once a big country, "became a banana republic" through his indictment.
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Donald Trump, former President of the United States, waves as he arrives at Trump Tower in New York.
© picture alliance/dpa/FR171481 AP |
Bryan Woolston
The background of the case: Shortly before his election as president in 2016, Trump paid hush money to the porn actress Stormy Daniels.
She claimed she had sex with him.
Trump denies an affair - but not that money has flowed.
Payment may conflict with campaign finance rules.
Charges against Donald Trump: This is planned for Tuesday in the hush money trial
After the indictment was brought by a so-called grand jury last Thursday, Trump must first appear at the Manhattan public prosecutor's office on Tuesday and will then be processed by the identification service.
This usually includes fingerprints and possibly police photos, but the ex-president who flew to New York on Monday should not be handcuffed.
In the afternoon (2:15 p.m. local time; 8:15 p.m. CEST), Trump will then read the indictment in court.
The 76-year-old Republican is then asked if he pleads guilty or not guilty.
Trump's attorney Joe Tacopina has already made it clear that there will be no guilty plea.
Trump indictment in New York: lawyer presents her strategy in advance
Trump wants to fly back to his private residence Mar-a-Lago in the state of Florida on Tuesday.
There he wants to make a statement in the evening (8:15 p.m. local time; Wednesday 2:15 a.m. CEST).
During the reading of the indictment against former US President Donald Trump, no video cameras will be allowed to broadcast live from the court.
Trump's lawyers had blocked the transfer.
"If there are no surprises, I think it should be smooth," Trump's attorney Alina Habba told
CNN
in advance .
The strategy is already clear: "We are trying to coordinate and work together with everyone to ensure that there are no problems."
Donald Trump is back – but the competition is tough
Donald Trump is back – but the competition is tough
Donald Trump's indictment: Violent protests expected in New York
Observers expected thousands of violent Trump supporters who could vent their displeasure with the indictment in tumult.
The security authorities have taken numerous precautions for the indictment on Tuesday.
New York Mayor Eric Adams announced decisive action against possible violent protests.
"As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind," said Adams at City Hall in the US megacity.
"If anyone engages in an act of violence, no matter who it is, they will be arrested."
At the same time, Adams said that "agitators" could travel to New York.
"Our message is clear and simple: control yourself." Trump had called on his supporters to protest in mid-March in view of an alleged imminent arrest.
The right-wing populist later said that an indictment against him could lead to "death and destruction" - for critics an overt call for violence that brought back memories of the Capitol storming on January 6, 2021.
The German Association of Journalists also reacted and warned its correspondents to be careful: "The violence and brutality of Trump supporters when the Capitol was stormed in Washington more than two years ago did not stop at journalists either," warned the DJV Chairman Frank Everywhere.
(
AFP / dpa / kat
)
List of rubrics: © JOE RAEDLE/afp