Former President Donald Trump will be in federal court in Miami on Tuesday to appear before a judge on a 49-page, 37-count indictment for his handling of classified government documents.
As the former president did in April when he appeared before a New York judge for an indictment on hush money charges, he will go to the courthouse to be processed into the federal court system in the Southern District of Florida.
Here’s what is likely to happen on Tuesday at the courthouse in Miami:
Trump is set to surrender at the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. The authorities in Miami are bracing for protests by both supporters and opponents of the former president several media outlets have been reporting.
In advance of his arrival, local police, Secret Service agents, U.S. Marshals Service and other law enforcement and security services will be in charge of securing the area around the courthouse.
Manuel Morales, the police chief for the city of Miami, said in a statement: “We’re committed to protecting everyone’s First Amendment right and will continue to serve our residents, business owners and visitors while maintaining the safety of our community.”
Unlike the court appearance in New York, Trump will not be seen going through the motions of being booked or entering a plea. There are no cameras allowed in a federal courthouse.
According to NPR, Trump, who turns 77 on Wednesday, will likely surrender to authorities in an underground garage, then be transported through a tunnel to the Wilkie D. Ferguson Courthouse, the main federal courthouse in Miami.
He will be booked there and likely will be electronically fingerprinted. It is not likely that the former president will be handcuffed.
His first appearance before a judge is set for 3 p.m. EDT. He will appear before either Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who was assigned the case, or a magistrate judge who would take care of the preliminaries in the case before it goes to trial.
Trump’s legal team is said to be happy with Cannon being chosen to hear the case. Cannon handled a lawsuit Trump filed challenging the FBI’s court-authorized search of his Florida estate and club, Mar-a-Lago.
On Tuesday, either Cannon or the magistrate judge will make sure Trump has counsel and will decide whether he will be held in jail, get bond or be released on his own recognizance. He faces 37 counts on seven different charges, including willful retention of national defense information, withholding a record, false statements and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Trump could have an arraignment on Tuesday since the indictment has already happened, however, It is not yet clear whether he will enter his expected plea of not guilty on Tuesday or return at another time to enter a plea.
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