If Donald Trump is indicted for his role in a secret payoff to a porn star, the former president will be treated like any other criminal: He will be read his Miranda rights, fingerprinted and mugshot taken.
It may even be handcuffed.
But Trump is likely to be spared the indignity of a crime walk, where the person in question is herded into court in handcuffs in front of the cameras for the world to see.
Instead, he’ll probably walk in, dressed in a suit and tie, surrounded by aides and Secret Service agents. And even he could cut a deal with prosecutors to enter through a back entrance, skipping the expected media frenzy.
The booking procedure would continue from there.
If Donald Trump is arrested, he will face a typical search procedure: fingerprints and mug shot.
Trump faces criminal charges for $130,000 in payments his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, sent to a porn star stormy daniels toward the end of his 2016 campaign. Prosecutors say the payment violated campaign finance laws and was made to silence Daniels about an affair with the business titan.
Trump denied having an affair. And on March 18the former president declared that he would be arrested on the 21st. He appealed to his followers to protest the matter.
He would be the first president arrested since Ulysses S. Grant was pulled over for speeding his horse and buggy at the corner of 13th and M streets in Washington, DC, in 1872, but the police let him go with a ticket.
Local, state and federal law enforcement and security agencies are bracing for an expected frenzy of media, protesters and onlookers, though New York prosecutors have not confirmed an arrest will take place.
DailyMail.com takes a look at what can happen if an indictment is filed.
THE SURRENDER
Any indictment would require Trump, who is at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, to turn himself in to the district attorney’s office in downtown New York.
He would have to fly to his old home state, probably in his campaign plane, known as Trump Force One.
Since a financial crime is considered a “white collar crime” and not violent, Trump would be allowed to turn himself in, skipping the criminal ride.
In white-collar cases, the defendant’s lawyers and prosecutors often agree on a date and time for the person to turn themselves in rather than arrest them at their home.
Trump would have to travel from his Mar-a-Lago estate (above) to New York
Trump would likely make the trip on his campaign plane, known as Trump Force One.
IF TRUMP DOES NOT SURRENDER
If Trump refuses to turn himself in, prosecutors could request his extradition from Florida.
Ironically, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican and former close ally of Trump, would have to give formal approval for an extradition.
Technically, it would be a strictly administrative move, made in his capacity as governor of the state.
Politically, it’s a completely different story. DeSantis has all but declared that he will run for president next year, making him a rival to Trump for the Republican nomination.
Although DeSantis has few legal options other than approving an extradition, he is likely to anger the conservative MAGA base he is trying to win over. If DeSantis did not approve an extradition, New York would likely sue, leading to a lengthy legal battle.
Some lawyers working for Trump have said the former president will surrender.
“There will not be a showdown at Mar-a-Lago with the Secret Service and the Manhattan district attorney’s office,” Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said. New York Daily News.
The timing remains unclear despite Trump’s proclamation of the date. Once Trump is indicted, prosecutors would contact his attorneys to negotiate his handover, a process that could take several days.
If Donald Trump refuses to surrender, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would have to sign an extradition warrant – the two men above in June 2019 for a Trump campaign rally.
HANDCUFFS AND MUGSHOT
Trump would face a typical search procedure like any other defendant. He would be told that he has the right to remain silent and the right to counsel.
He could be handcuffed and take his mug shot. Most defendants have their hands cuffed behind their backs, but some white-collar defendants, who are considered non-violent, have their hands cuffed in front of them.
Or his lawyers could cut a deal with prosecutors to allow the former president to escape the indignity of the handcuffs and walk unencumbered. His Secret Service detail, which is legally required to protect all former presidents, would be at his side.
In New York, mugshots are not normally released to the public, although they may be leaked to the media.
THE ACCUSATION
Trump would then appear for arraignment in Manhattan district court.
He would probably be released at his own risk and allowed to return home.
Given Trump’s substantial ties to the community and his ongoing 2024 presidential campaign, the judge would likely not consider him a flight risk and would likely release him immediately on bail, former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti told Time magazine.
Trump has a campaign rally scheduled in Waco, Texas, on March 25 and is expected to keep his normal campaign hours.
PREPARATIONS THAT ARE MADE
The New York Police Department, New York State Court Officers, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Secret Service and the FBI are reportedly making preparations for an arrest.
That includes preparing for possible protests.
Security barriers were installed around the Manhattan courthouse and the district attorney’s office.
Additionally, more than a dozen senior police department officials and two of Mayor Eric Adams’ top public safety aides held a virtual meeting on March 19 to discuss security, personnel, and contingency plans in the event of protests. , he New York Times informed.
The White House is also monitoring the situation.
“We’re always monitoring the situation here, to the best of our ability,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said during an interview on Fox News Sunday.
“And obviously we don’t want to see any activity turn violent, certainly nothing to the extent that we saw on January 6,” he added. ‘But we’re looking at this. We are watching it, of course, closely.
Also, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg could expand his own security team.
Bragg, a Democrat who is the first black person to lead the office, has become the target of Trump’s ire. The former president claims that his investigation is politically motivated.
A New York Police Department vehicle sits in front of Trump Tower in New York City
NYPD officers move barricades near courthouse ahead of the anticipated indictment of former President Donald Trump
THE PROOF
Any trial would still be more than a year away, which would put him during the 2024 presidential election in which Trump is a candidate.
The average criminal case in New York takes more than a year to go from indictment to trial, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a former assistant district attorney for Manhattan, told Reuters.
Meanwhile, the specter of the trial would allow Trump to use it as a political issue, which he has made clear he will.
The former president is expected to target Bragg and President Joe Biden, despite the fact that the Stormy Daniels case is a local New York case and not a federal matter.
Trump will also be watching to see what the Republicans stand for, particularly his 2024 rivals.
There are other complications to a trial, such as the jury selection process.
Trump is obviously very well known and most people have an opinion about him, one way or another.
Both the prosecution and the defense will use the cross-examination process to try to ensure fair and impartial juries.
The judge could also issue a ‘gag order’ to jurors to prevent them from speaking to the media. Jurors could also be sequestered.
OTHER CHARGES
Former President Trump also faces other investigations: two federal cases and one state case in Georgia.
The Justice Department is investigating two separate matters: Trump’s possession of hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and his efforts to stay in power after losing the 2020 election, including his role in the September 6 insurrection. January at the Capitol.
Also, in the state of Georgia, a special grand jury was convened to hear evidence about whether or not Trump and his allies tried to pressure officials to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory in the state. The district attorney will decide whether or not to file charges this spring.
