Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday related to the charges of mishandling classified documents handed down by the Department of Justice.Trump’s indictment was unsealed last week, showing that the former president faces 37 felony counts, including concealing classified documents, obstructing justice and making false statements to law enforcement.Specifically, the indictment outlines Trump’s efforts to move the boxes of documents from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago residence, hiding them throughout his Florida estate, including in a bathroom, public ballroom, office and bedroom, in order to keep the documents away from his lawyers, the FBI and the grand jury.See below: Trump indictment photosA Florida state attorney, Dave Aronberg, shared his takeaways from the unsealed indictment to sister station WPBF.“My biggest takeaway is that the former president is in a lot of trouble,” Aronberg, the Palm Beach County state attorney said. ” shows how he was intricately involved with the alleged criminal conduct here. He can’t blame this on the pool boy, he has to face this himself, that he packed the boxes himself, that he moved the boxes and stored the boxes and told people to lie about all their conduct and disseminated information that was in the boxes.”Waltine Nauta, a former personal aide to Trump, was also named in the indictment as a co-conspirator. Nauta, who faces six federal charges, is believed to be traveling with Trump to Florida Monday.This is Trump’s second in-person court appearance in the past three months, facing a judge in New York in April after being charged with 34 felony counts for falsifying business records by the Manhattan district attorney. This time, Trump will face a judge in a Miami federal courthouse.What to expect TuesdayFormer Department of Justice criminal division senior trial attorney and current South Florida criminal defense attorney Richard Serafini says Trump will likely not have his fingerprints or mugshot taken on Tuesday, and he’ll likely be out on bond or his own recognizance right after his appearance in court.Serafini says while most federal defendants have their arraignment about two days after their initial appearance, Trump’s arraignment will likely be minutes after his initial appearance if he enters his expected plea of not guilty on Tuesday.Serafini says any possible trial would likely not be for at least a year or two. He says if Trump were to be convicted on any of these federal charges and be sentenced to jail time, it would likely be far less than the maximum sentencing guidelines.Video below: Trump grand jury indictment ‘self-inflicted wounds,’ lawyer saysTrump’s first 31 charges carry a maximum of 10 years in prison each, charges 32 through 36 carry a maximum sentence of 20 years each and charge 37 comes with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.Serafini also thinks the general public will most likely not see the actual documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, regardless of how the case plays out.“We know the documents that were in Mar-a-Lago were classified,” Serafini said. “We don’t know what they say. It is unlikely that we as the public will ever know what they say. The court will, the jurors will, but it’s really unlikely that during the course of the trial that secret documents that are the centerpiece of an Espionage charge will be published and released to the public, it kind of defeats the whole purpose of bringing the charge in the first place.”Eyes will also be on the judge that was randomly assigned to Trump’s federal case. Judge Aileen Cannon, who Trump appointed in November 2020, days after he lost the presidential election, came under scrutiny last year for appointing a special master to review the classified documents that the FBI seized.Legal experts across the spectrum saw the favorable ruling for Trump as unnecessarily disruptive to the FBI’s investigation, including a federal appeals panel — made up of three GOP judges — which reversed Cannon’s decision.Right now, Cannon has just been initially tasked with overseeing Trump’s case. Though, there have been calls for Cannon to recuse herself from the case.It is not clear if she will preside over Trump’s hearing Tuesday. But in most cases similar to Trump’s, a magistrate judge usually rules over such hearings, which could be Bruce Reinhart, the magistrate judge who signed the search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, or another judge on duty at the Miami courthouse.Constitutional experts say that even if Trump is convicted of his federal charges, he will still be allowed to run for president and hold office if he’s elected in 2024.Protests are also expected to take place outside the courthouse, with opponents and supporters of Trump taking part. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Police Chief Manuel Morales addressed the securities concerns in a joint press conference Monday afternoon.“I’m not here to talk about politics,” Suarez said. “I’m here in my role as mayor of the city of Miami projecting confidence to our residents and to the residents of the country that we’re going to be ready for tomorrow.”Morales did not explain the specific steps being taken to secure the city, he did state that law enforcement will be prepared for anything.“We know there’s a potential of things taking a turn for the worst, but that’s not the Miami way,” Morales said. The Miami Herald has reported that both the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist organization that supports Trump, and Antifa, a radical left-wing, anti-fascist group, are expected to attend. Former Republican candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake has also stated that she will attend.Lake said she will be there to peacefully protest in support of Trump. But other language used by Trump, and amplified by his supporters, leading up to his arraignment has undoubtedly fueled the fire of contention and cause for concern.”THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME,” Trump called the DOJ’s case against him.Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican congressman from Arizona, responded to the federal charges by tweeting: “We have now reached a war phase. Eye for an eye.”Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., posted a photo on Instagram of the former president with the words, “Retribution Is Coming,” in all capital letters.Lake’s words at the Republican state convention didn’t match the “peaceful” tone of her tweets.”I have a message tonight for Merrick Garland and Jack Smith and Joe Biden — and the guys back there in the fake news media, you should listen up as well, this one is for you,” Lake said in Georgia at the Republican state convention. “If you want to get to President Trump, you are going to have to go through me, and you are going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. And I’m going to tell you, most of us are card-carrying members of the N.R.A.”She added, “That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.”Video below: Allies rally support after Trump indictmentContrary to what Trump and many of his supporters are saying, Dave Aronberg, the Palm Beach County state attorney, said there are a few factors that show this federal investigation is not politically motivated.“Jack Smith did not indict him himself. He had to get a grand jury in a red state, Trump’s backyard, to indict him. That’s what happened. So, to say this is somehow Joe Biden directing it is totally ignorant of the facts of what went on here,” Aronberg said. “This is not politicizing the Department of Justice, it’s the opposite because you have the special counsel who is a career prosecutor — who is a political independent — going to a grand jury of apolitical individuals who are just there to listen to the facts and the law,” He added.
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday related to the charges of mishandling classified documents handed down by the Department of Justice.
Trump’s indictment was unsealed last week, showing that the former president faces 37 felony counts, including concealing classified documents, obstructing justice and making false statements to law enforcement.
Advertisement
Specifically, the indictment outlines Trump’s efforts to move the boxes of documents from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago residence, hiding them throughout his Florida estate, including in a bathroom, public ballroom, office and bedroom, in order to keep the documents away from his lawyers, the FBI and the grand jury.
See below: Trump indictment photos
A Florida state attorney, Dave Aronberg, shared his takeaways from the unsealed indictment to sister station WPBF.
“My biggest takeaway is that the former president is in a lot of trouble,” Aronberg, the Palm Beach County state attorney said. “[The indictment] shows how he was intricately involved with the alleged criminal conduct here. He can’t blame this on the pool boy, he has to face this himself, that he packed the boxes himself, that he moved the boxes and stored the boxes and told people to lie about all their conduct and disseminated information that was in the boxes.”
Waltine Nauta, a former personal aide to Trump, was also named in the indictment as a co-conspirator. Nauta, who faces six federal charges, is believed to be traveling with Trump to Florida Monday.
This is Trump’s second in-person court appearance in the past three months, facing a judge in New York in April after being charged with 34 felony counts for falsifying business records by the Manhattan district attorney.
This time, Trump will face a judge in a Miami federal courthouse.
What to expect Tuesday
Former Department of Justice criminal division senior trial attorney and current South Florida criminal defense attorney Richard Serafini says Trump will likely not have his fingerprints or mugshot taken on Tuesday, and he’ll likely be out on bond or his own recognizance right after his appearance in court.
Serafini says while most federal defendants have their arraignment about two days after their initial appearance, Trump’s arraignment will likely be minutes after his initial appearance if he enters his expected plea of not guilty on Tuesday.
Serafini says any possible trial would likely not be for at least a year or two. He says if Trump were to be convicted on any of these federal charges and be sentenced to jail time, it would likely be far less than the maximum sentencing guidelines.
Video below: Trump grand jury indictment ‘self-inflicted wounds,’ lawyer says
Trump’s first 31 charges carry a maximum of 10 years in prison each, charges 32 through 36 carry a maximum sentence of 20 years each and charge 37 comes with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Serafini also thinks the general public will most likely not see the actual documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, regardless of how the case plays out.
“We know the documents that were in Mar-a-Lago were classified,” Serafini said. “We don’t know what they say. It is unlikely that we as the public will ever know what they say. The court will, the jurors will, but it’s really unlikely that during the course of the trial that secret documents that are the centerpiece of an Espionage charge will be published and released to the public, it kind of defeats the whole purpose of bringing the charge in the first place.”
Eyes will also be on the judge that was randomly assigned to Trump’s federal case. Judge Aileen Cannon, who Trump appointed in November 2020, days after he lost the presidential election, came under scrutiny last year for appointing a special master to review the classified documents that the FBI seized.
Legal experts across the spectrum saw the favorable ruling for Trump as unnecessarily disruptive to the FBI’s investigation, including a federal appeals panel — made up of three GOP judges — which reversed Cannon’s decision.
Right now, Cannon has just been initially tasked with overseeing Trump’s case. Though, there have been calls for Cannon to recuse herself from the case.
It is not clear if she will preside over Trump’s hearing Tuesday. But in most cases similar to Trump’s, a magistrate judge usually rules over such hearings, which could be Bruce Reinhart, the magistrate judge who signed the search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, or another judge on duty at the Miami courthouse.
Constitutional experts say that even if Trump is convicted of his federal charges, he will still be allowed to run for president and hold office if he’s elected in 2024.
Protests are also expected to take place outside the courthouse, with opponents and supporters of Trump taking part. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Police Chief Manuel Morales addressed the securities concerns in a joint press conference Monday afternoon.
“I’m not here to talk about politics,” Suarez said. “I’m here in my role as mayor of the city of Miami projecting confidence to our residents and to the residents of the country that we’re going to be ready for tomorrow.”
Morales did not explain the specific steps being taken to secure the city, he did state that law enforcement will be prepared for anything.
“We know there’s a potential of things taking a turn for the worst, but that’s not the Miami way,” Morales said.
The Miami Herald has reported that both the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist organization that supports Trump, and Antifa, a radical left-wing, anti-fascist group, are expected to attend. Former Republican candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake has also stated that she will attend.
Lake said she will be there to peacefully protest in support of Trump. But other language used by Trump, and amplified by his supporters, leading up to his arraignment has undoubtedly fueled the fire of contention and cause for concern.
“THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME,” Trump called the DOJ’s case against him.
Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican congressman from Arizona, responded to the federal charges by tweeting: “We have now reached a war phase. Eye for an eye.”
Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., posted a photo on Instagram of the former president with the words, “Retribution Is Coming,” in all capital letters.
Lake’s words at the Republican state convention didn’t match the “peaceful” tone of her tweets.
“I have a message tonight for Merrick Garland and Jack Smith and Joe Biden — and the guys back there in the fake news media, you should listen up as well, this one is for you,” Lake said in Georgia at the Republican state convention. “If you want to get to President Trump, you are going to have to go through me, and you are going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. And I’m going to tell you, most of us are card-carrying members of the N.R.A.”
She added, “That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.”
Video below: Allies rally support after Trump indictment
Contrary to what Trump and many of his supporters are saying, Dave Aronberg, the Palm Beach County state attorney, said there are a few factors that show this federal investigation is not politically motivated.
“Jack Smith did not indict him himself. He had to get a grand jury in a red state, Trump’s backyard, to indict him. That’s what happened. So, to say this is somehow Joe Biden directing it is totally ignorant of the facts of what went on here,” Aronberg said.
“This is not politicizing the Department of Justice, it’s the opposite because you have the special counsel who is a career prosecutor — who is a political independent — going to a grand jury of apolitical individuals who are just there to listen to the facts and the law,” He added.
