Donald Trump, former President of the United States, said on the social network Truth Social that he will be arrested for buying the silence of a porn actress | Photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP
The possibility of Donald Trump’s arrest has resulted in all New York City police officers being ordered to wear uniform and prepare for action. According to NBC News, the decision came amid the likely indictment of Donald Trump, who said he had a chance of being jailed.
On Saturday (18th) Trump said on Truth Social that he would be arrested for buying a porn actress’ silence. This Tuesday (21st), the New York City Police Department installed metal fences in front of the Manhattan Courthouse and Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, forecasting a mass arrival of supporters of the former president and a possible arrest.
Despite the police being on high alert and some protesters and journalists moving outside the Manhattan Attorney’s Office, Trump’s defense said his testimony was based on information from the press, not the prosecution.
the reproach
Trump reportedly paid porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, a bribe to keep quiet about sex with him.
The secret payment of $130,000 was made by Trump’s thenprivate attorney Michael Cohen ahead of the 2016 election.
The New York court wants to determine whether Trump is guilty of misrepresenting the payment made (a misdemeanor) or violating campaign finance laws (a felony). Michael Cohen, who made the payment, was sentenced to three years in prison back in 2018 and said at the time he paid for the silence on orders from the boss and thencandidate.
Trump says the probe is politically motivated and denies involvement with Daniels. If Trump is indicted, it would be the first time in US history that a former US President has been charged with a criminal offense.
What can happen if he is charged
The investigation, which is being led by the New York State Attorney’s Office, heard the last witnesses on Monday (20). The next step was to allow Trump to testify in his own defense, but he declined.
A grand jury has reviewed the evidence to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed with the prosecution, but the group has no power to convict or acquit anyone.
So all indications are that the investigation is closed and it is now up to District Attorney Alvin Bragg to decide whether or not to press charges against the former President. He hasn’t appeared yet. If indicted, Trump must step forward to hear the charges against him.
If you do not appear voluntarily, the judiciary can have you arrested. In any case, you will be booked and have to leave fingerprints and a photo with the authorities.
His attorney, Joseph Tacopina, has previously stated that Trump would appear in court if indicted — from Palm Beach, Fla., to Manhattan. From there, a process would begin that could last several months and would continue with jury selection.
“Prosecutors almost never invite the subject to testify before the grand jury unless they intend to indict him,” Bennett Gershman, a former prosecutor and law professor at Pace University, told AFP.
What would a prison look like?
It’s not immediately clear what a possible arrest or more likely his surrender to authorities would look like, given that not only is Trump a former president, but he wouldn’t be responsible for anything violent either.
There are no precedents or rules, explains Robert McDonald, a former US Secret Service agent and now a professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven. The Secret Service must coordinate with Bragg’s office to allow Trump to appear in court without a “show,” McDonald says. That means he won’t walk through the main door of the court handcuffed.
It can be assumed that the judge did not take into account the risk of absconding and set bail. So Trump would not be trapped. “But some believe the former president could refuse to turn himself in and challenge the prosecutor to stop him.
One can imagine Trump trying to do this. That’s something Bragg’s office would fear,” said Shan Wu, a former prosecutor.
What’s at stake
Trump wants to become the Republican nominee in the 2024 election, and for some analysts he’s using the event to test his own popularity. It’s entirely possible Trump will have to halt the campaign another time to respond to various pending lawsuits. But so far no one has stopped him from running again. Even arrested, he has the right to run for president.
There are those who believe this accusation could hurt him, but there are also those, including Democrats, who warn of the possibility that Trump will be able to foment chaos, such as the attack on the Capitol happened in 2021. used on January 6, 2021.
Some Republicans see a political “persecution” against the former president. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, for example, told CNN that “this inspires a lot of sympathy” for Trump and that people who “were not big supporters felt offended.”
On social media, some supporters are already calling for a general strike and calling on everyone to stop the country. But the intelligence agency said it uncovered conversations where his supporters were suspicious, afraid they might fall into some kind of trap by heeding Trump’s call. (folha press)
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