Donald Trump Arraignment Scheduled for Tuesday

Former President Donald Trump is expected to turn himself in to authorities in New York City on Tuesday, April 4. His lawyers issued a public statement on Friday night explaining his plans to fly from Florida to New York for his arraignment on criminal charges after his indictment this week. However, legal experts say that the drama is unlikely to reach the news cycle on Tuesday as the process plays out quietly and formally.

Trump was indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan last week on criminal charges that have not been officialy released to the public. There was some speculation that Trump would resist this arrest, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis even tweeted that he would not cooperate with an extradition request should one be made. However, on Friday Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina said that there would be no standoff or manhunt. His statement published by The Washington Post reads: “Trump is not going to hole up in Mar-a-Lago.”

Sources familiar with the arraignment and Trump’s plans say that he will present himself in court on Tuesday afternoon at around 2:15 p.m. ET. In the meantime, Trump’s Secret Service detail has reportedly already begun to tour the courthouse to assess possible security threats, and more will be in the building for Tuesday’s dramatic events. According to a report by NBC 4 New York, Trump will arrive at LaGuardia Airport on Monday evening and spend the night at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue before turning himself in the next day. He will travel by car once he reaches the northeast.

Trump will reportedly be arraigned in the Manhattan Criminal Court building on the 15th floor, Part 59 – the same courtroom where Harey Weinstein was tried and convicted of sexual assault in 2020. The charges against Trump remain a secret, and insiders say they are not expected to be unsealed before Tuesday. The prosecutors could seek to unseal the charges by filing paperwork with the Manhattan Criminal Court, at which point a judge would consider it. Right now, that’s up to District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and sources told NBC Bragg’s office is not planning to make that request.

Many reports indicate that the charges related to Trump’s illegal hush money payments to several women during his 2016 presidential campaign, including adult film star Stormy Daniels. There are an estimated 34 charges in total, and they may include falsifying business records – a charge that can be either a misdemeanor or a felony in New York.

Still, legal experts say that a charge or even a conviction of falsifying business records would not make Trump ineligible to run for president in 2024. It’s still not clear whether prosecutors are seeking jail time for any of the charges in this indictment. Trump is the first U.S. president ever to be charged with a crime, so the legal system itself is wading into uncharted territory. Check back for more updates as they become available.