What to know about Donald Trump’s Miami court appearance on Tuesday : NPR

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Donald Trump delivers remarks Saturday in Greensboro, NC Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Donald Trump delivers remarks Saturday in Greensboro, NC

Win by McNamee/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump is expected to appear in a Miami courthouse on Tuesday following his arraignment last week on a federal indictment accusing him of mishandling classified documents.

Trump faces 37 federal charges, including interception and unlawful retention of defense information. Federal prosecutors say Trump illegally stored dozens of highly sensitive documents in everything from bathrooms to ballrooms at his Florida resort, refusing to return them to the FBI and National Archives. .

Trump’s appearance on Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. US Courthouse on Tuesday will mark his second appearance as a criminal defendant. He also appeared in a New York courthouse in April on charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments.

However, Tuesday’s court appearance is likely to mark a new era in his tortuous political tenure as the charges leveled against him grow in number and severity, all while he offered a 2024 presidential reelection bid.

Here’s what to expect as the political world watches.

Will Trump go to jail?

Trump’s hearing is scheduled for 3 pm ET, according to the former president and his lawyers. But before he appears in court, he will have to submit to pretrial services, including booking and processing.

There’s a good chance the public won’t see any of this happening, said Jay Weaver, a longtime court reporter at the Miami Herald.

Weaver told NPR’s Weekend Edition that the federal courthouse is connected to an underground garage. That tunnel could provide a safe place for Trump to be electronically fingerprinted.

As for handcuffs and a mugshot? Those steps probably aren’t necessary in this regulated environment with such a high profile, Weaver said. Skipping both steps would be consistent with what happened before his Manhattan arraignment in April.

One unknown is when, precisely, pretrial processing might occur.

On Monday afternoon, Trump’s private plane arrived in Miami.

Trump is scheduled to speak again at a fundraising event in Bedminster on Tuesday night. He used a similar tactic after also being arraigned in New York in April, brought to his home turf at Mar-a-Lago in Florida for a campaign speech in which he described himself as an innocent man and political martyr. .

Will the hearing be televised?

Nope. Unlike the Manhattan courthouse, cameras are not allowed in federal court.

Some journalists will be allowed to watch and share electronic updates, so the public can get an account of what’s going on.

What will happen inside the courtroom?

Trump arrives in a courtroom at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York in April. Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

Trump arrives in a courtroom at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York in April.

Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

It’s unclear which judge will preside over Tuesday’s hearing, but we do know that his case has been assigned to Judge Aileen M. Cannon, and it could be the first time the two face each other.

Trump appointed Cannon to the bench in 2020. He surprised legal experts by ruling in Trump’s favor last summer, appointing a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from Mar- a-Lago. The move temporarily halted federal prosecutors from continuing their investigation into the documents.

If Trump is convicted and Cannon remains on the case, he will be responsible for determining the sentence, including any jail time.

It is unclear whether Trump will return for an arraignment at a later date or enter his plea on Tuesday.

His attorney Alina Habba, who is not part of the team representing him in the classified documents case, told Fox News on Sunday that Trump does not plan to seek a plea deal “especially when he has done nothing wrong,” he added. “He will never plead guilty.”

Trump’s personal aide, Walt Nauta, was also summoned to appear in court at the same time. Nauta is listed as a co-defendant in the case, with federal prosecutors saying he helped Trump move and hide boxes of classified documents.

What will happen outside the court? Will there be protests and rallies?

In another similarity to the Manhattan court appearance, Trump once again asked his supporters to take action in protest.

“We need strength at this point. Everyone is afraid to do anything. They are afraid to speak. They need to go out and protest peacefully,” Trump said in a radio interview hosted by his former adviser, Roger Stone. , on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s important that they keep it peaceful, civil and legal,” Stone emphasized.

Laura Loomer, a right-wing activist, tweeted about plans for a “peaceful rally” outside the courthouse, urging attendees to bring pro-Trump attire and “love” for the former president.

But not all of Trump’s supporters are using words like “peaceful” when discussing the action plans.

Kari Lake, the Republican firebrand from Arizona, alluded to possible violence at a press conference on Saturday, saying, “We’re at war, people,” and “If you want to get to President Trump, you have to go through me, and you have to go through 75 million Americans like me.”

Lake is planning a rally in support of Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday night.

The former president’s Republican allies in Congress have also used sharp rhetoric as they come to Trump’s defense, vowing to investigate the Justice Department for a suspected government crackdown.

Some also incited warlike postures in social media posts about Tuesday’s arraignment.

“An eye for an eye,” wrote Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona. “We have now reached the stage of war.”

We have now reached the stage of war.

An eye for an eye.

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) June 9, 2023

“Buckle up. 1/50K know your bridges. Rock steady calm,” wrote Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins on the obvious reference to military terms. Two days later, he backpedaled, telling all “patriots” not to “trip the wire” laid by the mainstream media.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez repeatedly said at a press conference Monday that he believes in the Constitution and people’s right to express their First Amendment right to protest, “but we also believe in law and order.”

Police Chief Manny Morales also spoke at the conference to brief the city ahead of the expected protests.

“Since the announcement was made, we have been planning and preparing to make sure the city of Miami is safe and secure,” Morales said. “I can assure all of our residents, our stakeholders and visitors to the city at this time that we are working closely with our federal, state and local partners to ensure that we have a comprehensive strategy.”

Morales said officials are maintaining a unified command post to coordinate the response of police and emergency services in the city.

Suarez said he was confident in the police department’s ability to maintain order and peace ahead of Trump’s court appearance because of Miami’s experience in handling protests after the death of George Floyd that lasted several days in the city.

Morales said any plans for road closures or detours will be made tomorrow depending on the size of the crowd.

When will the case go to trial?

Special counsel Jack Smith promised Friday that he and his team will work to ensure the former president receives a speedy trial but it was unclear whether the president’s legal team would choose the speed.

Federal law defines a “speedy trial” as one that begins no later than 70 days after an arraignment. But that doesn’t account for defense moves, and in this case, there could be many, according to Weaver.

“There will be motions to dismiss it based on the prosecution’s choice,” he told NPR on Saturday. “You prosecuted me, but you didn’t indict Hillary Clinton or President Joe Biden for having classified documents, either.”

Weaver also expects delays in venue selection (a possible move to West Palm Beach, which could see a jury pool more favorable to Trump) and delays related to the Classified Protection Act (defense counsel may need a security clearance only to review records included as evidence).

That means a trial could come at the height of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign as the former president told Politico this weekend, he could get out of prison if necessary.

“I’m never leaving,” Trump said. “Look, if I’m going to leave, I’m going to leave before the original race in 2016. That’s a rough one.”

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