On Tuesday, April 3, former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court to 34 criminal charges.
Trump, who arrived at the Manhattan district attorney’s office where he was arrested and taken into police custody, sat in court today with his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie.
The arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon marked a watershed moment in US history, as the businessman became the first former or sitting US president, dead or alive, to be arrested.
News outlets will not be able to broadcast the arraignment live, a judge said Monday night, rejecting a request from several media organizations but five still photographers, however, will be allowed to take pictures of Trump and the courtroom before the hearing begins.
The indictment returned last week by a grand jury against Trump will provide the public details about the specific charges he will face. The investigation comes from a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump is slated to fly back to Florida following his court appearance and will hold an event at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening that gives the 2024 Republican presidential hopeful a chance to respond to the charges.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment marks the first criminal charges against Trump, but it’s not the only potential legal trouble in front of the former president: Special counsel Jack Smith is still moving forward with an investigation into Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. And a Fulton County special grand jury has completed its investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.
