In a courthouse in lower Manhattan, former President Donald Trump pled not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents according to a source in the courtroom who spoke to ABC, after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury last week.
The charges derive from a hush money payment made during his 2016 campaign to a pornographic actress.
Former President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social while on his way to the Manhattan courthouse, saying that it “seems so SURREAL.”
“WOW, they are going to ARREST ME,” he wrote. “Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
At around 1.35PM EDT, he surrended and was carried in a black SUV with his Secret Service detail to court. His two lawyers, Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, were in another SUV.
Signs were flying around by people with one reading, “No one is above the law.”
At about 2:15PM EDT, the Secret Service brought the former president from Trump Tower to the courthouse, where he was processed as a criminal defendant, including having his fingerprints taken and may have his mugshot taken.
In The courtroom, Todd Blanche at one point said, “I didn’t realize we were going to be giving opening statements.”
Blanche said Trump was “frustrated” and “upset” and had a right to express his views publicly. The judge said he was not going to enact a gag order. Todd Blanche, Trump’s new defense attorney, did most of the speaking.
“Let’s arraign Mr. Trump, please,” Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan said when he entered the courtroom. Trump spoke quietly when he addressed the judge, including when he entered his not guilty plea.
The indictment against the former President has been unsealed.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg claimed former President Donald Trump “repeatedly made false statements” on New York business records and made others do the same during a press briefing following Tuesday’s arraignment.
“These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are,” Bragg said. “We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct.
Bragg said the case, “like so many of our white-collar cases,” alleges that “someone lied again and again to protect their interests and evade the laws to which we are all held accountable.”
Donald Trump is the first former president to face criminal prosecution in U.S. history. Several counts of fabricating company records, including at least one felony, are included in the indictment.
The arraignment was brief and perfunctory, but after years of probes into Trump’s personal, commercial, and political dealings, it represents a tremendous reckoning.
The case is developing against the backdrop of his third presidential candidature and other legal obstacles. A conviction would not bar Trump from running for president in 2024 or from winning the presidency.
In the coming weeks and months, both the general public and legal professionals are anticipated to closely follow the case.
Source – Tru News Report
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