Donald Trump indicted: Ex-president to have fingerprinting and mugshot

Donald Trump will undergo a regular booking process, including having a mugshot and fingerprints taken when he is arraigned, following his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury. The indictment alleges his involvement in making hush payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. However, he may not be handcuffed or subjected to a perp walk in public during his arraignment next week. This will shield him from public scrutiny, though he will be treated like any other defendant.

Defendants are usually handcuffed during arraignments, but some white-collar defendants are deemed less risky and are secured in front of them. Trump’s attorneys have received a request to coordinate his surrender on the state “Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal.”

Trump is expected to be escorted by Secret Service agents and will likely wear a suit and tie while going to Bragg’s office. He might even use the back entrance to the building for the sake of his high-profile character.

The indictment stems from a $130,000 payout made to Daniels by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, over an alleged affair with the former president that he was purportedly trying to cover up during his 2016 campaign. He has denied the accusations and even rallied his supporters to protest against his arrest.

The booking procedures often take four to six hours and require fingerprinting and photographs. He may be released on a desk appearance ticket but would have to appear in court for the arraignment of charges. The governor of Florida can intervene in the extradition matter, but Trump’s lawyers have said that he would surrender if indicted.

Reports indicate that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is seeking a misdemeanor charge over an alleged falsification of business records, coupled with a campaign finance violation, to achieve a felony charge.

It is unclear what specific charges Trump faces, but the indictment will require the Florida resident to surrender to a New York City police precinct. Trump might even use his campaign jet, known as Trump Force One.

The pretrial hearings will commence after Trump’s arraignment, and he may be detained, or released on his own recognizance while they are ongoing. Bragg’s first act in his position was to issue a memo, instructing prosecutors to pursue serious crimes involving prison time.

It is not settled law whether hush money payments are campaign donations. The issue arose during the prosecution of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards in 2012, whose case was dropped by prosecutors in the end.