US ex-President Donald Trump to appear before Manhattan court to face criminal charges

Published on: 04 Apr 2023 at 11:32 AM

Published by: thefactnews

New York, April 4

Former US President Donald Trump is expected to appear before a specially secured Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday to be arraigned on history-making criminal charges related to paying hush money to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump, 76, flew to New York City in his Boeing 757 aircraft from his Mar-a-Lago home on Monday and arrived at the La Guardia airport around 3 pm EST (12.30 am IST).

His motorcade then made its way to the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in Manhattan where he will stay for the night. Streets around the high-end Trump Tower have been cordoned off, with heavy police presence in and around the area.

The former President waved at scores of his supporters as he came out from the SUV and was escorted immediately inside the building.

Trump, the first former US President to face a criminal charge, will appear before Judge Juan Merchan at 2.15 pm EST (11.45 pm IST) on Tuesday.

American media quoted Trump’s attorneys as saying that the former president will plead not guilty. After his court appearance, Trump will immediately fly back to Florida where he will deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in the evening.

The arraignment proceeding is expected to be brief. The charges in the indictment will be read to him at the hearing, which is set to last about 10-15 minutes. Trump has denied all wrongdoings in connection with the payments made to Stormy Daniels, 44, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.