Manhattan Attorney Alvin Bragg wanted Donald Trump to turn himself in today to be arrested, but his lawyers objected, saying the Secret Service needs more time to organize the unprecedented procedure. This was revealed by Politico, citing sources in the New York security forces. With the first indictment of a former president in American history, we find ourselves in the extremely delicate circumstance of a defendant who will present himself to the authorities escorted by agents of the presidential bodyguards, who must guarantee the lifelong safety of the former tenants of the White House. This is what Joe Tacopina, Trump’s lawyer, explained to the prosecutor’s office, thus asking to postpone the sensational arrest to next week – to Tuesday, according to various US media -. In these days, therefore, not only the tycoon’s lawyers, but also the heads of the Secret Service will have to coordinate with the prosecutor’s office to study the methods of handing over Trump.
He will be fingerprinted and photographed on Tuesday, then formally charged. As his lawyer anticipated, he will most likely plead innocent, pay bail and be out in a matter of minutes. But he will be more than a year away from any potential trial, legal experts have said, meaning it could take place during or after the presidential campaign. Trump’s lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said they will “vigorously fight” the allegations. “Zero, zero. President Trump will not accept any plea deals. Not gonna happen. There is no crime.” Thus in an interview with NBC News, the lawyer Tacopina,
With this indictment and a possible trial, the presidential elections in a year’s time become uncharted territory. Polls show Trump remains the clear leader for the Republican nomination, and his position hasn’t wavered as news of the allegations has spread.
Trump, meanwhile, has been trying to turn the public against the case. On March 18, he posted a message on his social media site in which he stated that he expected to be arrested within days. While that never happened (and his aides made it clear that he hadn’t relied on any inside information), Trump used the time to point out the widely discussed weaknesses of the case and to attack Bragg with a barrage of statements that were both personal and even racist. .
Running still possible
Trump’s indictment raises questions, particularly whether such charges or a conviction can bar Trump from being elected president. The answer that legal experts give to Time is that even if he is convicted he would not be excluded from the presidency if he were elected. “There is no constitutional prohibition on a felon running for office,” says Richard Hasen, a professor of election law at UCLA Law School. “And given that the US Constitution establishes presidential qualifications, it is unclear whether states can add to them, such as by banning criminals from running for office.” According to the Constitution, all citizens born in the United States who are at least 35 years old and have resided in the United States for 14 years are eligible to run for president. There is no legal impediment to Trump continuing his presidential campaign while he faces criminal charges, even if he is jailed, legal experts say. Alan Dershowitz, a well-known Harvard law professor, told Newsmax that a mugshot of Trump could serve as a manifesto for his campaign.