Former president Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, becoming the first person in U.S. history to serve as commander in chief and then be charged with a crime.
The indictment remains under seal, so the specific charge or charges have not been made public. Trump is expected to appear in court in Manhattan on Tuesday for his arraignment.
What is an indictment?
When someone is indicted by a grand jury, it means they are charged with one or more crimes. “An indictment is just a fancy way of saying ‘the charging document,’” said Anna G. Cominsky, a professor at New York Law School. “It is a piece of paper that contains the charges.”
The grand jury, which in New York is composed of 23 members of the public, hears evidence from witnesses presented by prosecutors over a period of days, weeks or months. At the end of that process, prosecutors decide whether to ask the jurors to vote on an indictment. A majority must vote to indict the person.
The grand jury process is secret, and the indictment is generally not made public until it is filed in court or — in some cases — until the defendant makes their first court appearance.
What is the case about?
The indictment against Trump is believed to involve a payment made before the 2016 presidential election to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress, to keep her from publicly discussing an affair she said she had with Trump years earlier.
Now that he is charged, will Trump be publicly arrested?
Trump posted on social media on March 18 that he would be arrested, but that won’t happen if he voluntarily turns himself in.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney said Thursday evening that the office had contacted Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender. A person familiar with the matter — speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been publicly announced — said the former president is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday, April 4, at 2:15 p.m.
What happens after a grand jury investigation
The typical steps in a criminal case, from investigation to sentencing.
Public court appearance. Charges unsealed if they are not already publicly viewable. Defendant generally enters not-guilty plea.
PRETRIAL HEARINGS
Defense motions to dismiss charges or exclude evidence; requests to thejudge on scheduling, witnesses.
What happens once Trump is in custody?
Once a suspect who has been indicted is in police custody, police or other law enforcement officials process them behind closed doors, taking mug shots and fingerprints.
The process is identical whether the person has been arrested or has agreed — or negotiated through lawyers — to turn themselves in.
What happens at Trump’s arraignment?
The first court proceeding after an arrest or surrender is an arraignment hearing in a Manhattan courtroom. At the arraignment, a judge would determine whether Trump would need to pay bail or adhere to certain restrictions pending a trial — or whether he could be released with no bail or restrictions, which is known as being released on personal recognizance.
Security arrangements for the brief proceeding are still being worked out.
The Secret Service special agent in charge of Trump’s security detail, Sean Curran, or Curran’s deputy, is likely to personally accompany Trump when he is processed and appears in court for the arraignment.
Ongoing investigations involving Donald Trump
Donald Trump is facing historic legal scrutiny for a former president, under investigation by the Justice Department, district attorneys in Manhattan and Fulton County, Ga., and a state attorney general. He denies wrongdoing. Here is a list of the key investigations and where they stand.
Justice Department criminal probe of Jan. 6
The Justice Department is investigating the Jan. 6 riot and whether Trump or his aides may have conspired to obstruct the formal certification in Congress of the election result or committed fraud to block the peaceful transfer of power. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed veteran prosecutor Jack Smith to oversee both this and the Mar-a-Lago investigation.
Mar-a-Lago documents investigation
FBI agents found more than 100 classified documents during a search of Trump’s residence at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 8 as part of a criminal probe into possible mishandling of classified information. A grand jury is hearing witness testimony as prosecutors weigh their next steps.
Georgia election results investigation
Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) is investigating whether Trump and his allies illegally meddled in the 2020 election in Georgia. A Georgia judge on Feb. 15 released parts of a report produced by a special-purpose grand jury, and authorities who are privy to the report will decide whether to ask a new grand jury to vote on criminal charges.
Manhattan district attorney’s investigation
District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) convened a grand jury to evaluate business-related matters involving Trump, including his alleged role in hush-money payments to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. On March 30, the grand jury voted to indict Trump, making him the first ex-president to be charged with a crime. Here’s what happens next.
Lawsuit over Trump business practices in New York
Attorney General Letitia James (D) filed a lawsuit Sept. 21 against Trump, three of his children and the Trump Organization, accusing them of flagrantly manipulating the valuations of their properties to get better terms on loans and insurance policies, and to get tax breaks. The litigation is pending.
▪︎ Summary adapted from The Washington Post report. Details can be found at www.washingtonpost.com. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph of UK.