If Donald Trump is indicted for his role in a porn star hush money payment, the former president will be treated like any other criminal – he will be read his Miranda rights, fingerprinted and pose for a mugshot.
He may even be handcuffed.
But Trump will likely be spared the humiliation of a perp walk, where the person in question is handcuffed and led into the courthouse for the cameras for the world to see.
Instead, he’ll probably walk in, dressed in a suit and tie, surrounded by aides and Secret Service agents. And he could even make a deal with prosecutors to enter through a back door, skipping the expected media frenzy.
The booking process would continue from there.
When Donald Trump is arrested, he faces a typical booking procedure: fingerprints and mugshot
Trump faces criminal charges for $130,000 in payments his former attorney, Michael Cohen, sent to porn star Stormy Daniels towards the end of his 2016 campaign. Prosecutors say the payment violated campaign finance laws and was made to silence Daniels about an affair with the business giant.
Trump denied ever having an affair. And on March 18, the former president stated that he would be arrested on the 21st. He called on his supporters to protest against the case.
He would be the first president to be arrested since Ulysses S. Grant was pulled over in 1872 for speeding his horse and buggy at the corner of 13th and M Streets in Washington, D.C., but the police let him go with a fine.
Local, state and federal law enforcement and security agencies are preparing for an expected crowd of media, protesters and onlookers, even though New York prosecutors have not confirmed an arrest is imminent.
DailyMail.com looks at what can happen if an indictment comes.
THE SURRENDER
Any indictment would require Trump, who is at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, to surrender at the district attorney’s office in downtown New York.
He would have to fly to his former home state, probably on his campaign jet, known as Trump Force One.
Since a financial crime is considered a “white collar crime” and non-violent, Trump should be allowed to surrender himself and skip the perpetrator walk.
In white-collar cases, the defendant’s attorneys and prosecutors typically agree on a date and time for the person to surrender, rather than arresting the person at home.
Trump should travel from his Mar-a-Lago estate (above) to New York
Trump would likely make the trip on his campaign jet, known as Trump Force One
IF TRUMP DID NOT SURRENDER
If Trump refused to surrender voluntarily, prosecutors could try to have him extradited from Florida.
Ironically, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican and former Trump ally, would have to give formal approval for an extradition.
Technically, it would be a strictly administrative step, performed in his capacity as governor of the state.
Politically, it’s a completely different story. DeSantis has all but declared he will run for president next year, making him a rival to Trump for the GOP nomination.
While DeSantis has few legal options other than to approve an extradition, it will likely infuriate the conservative MAGA base he’s trying to win over. If DeSantis did not approve an extradition, New York would likely sue, sparking a lengthy legal battle.
Some lawyers working for Trump have said the former president will surrender.
“There will not be a stalemate at Mar-a-Lago with the Secret Service and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office,” Trump attorney Joe Tacopina told the newspaper. New York daily news.
The timing remains unclear despite Trump’s proclamation on the date. Once Trump is formally indicted, prosecutors will contact his lawyers to negotiate his surrender — a process that could take several days.
If Donald Trump refuses to surrender, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would have to sign an extradition warrant — the two men above in June 2019 before a Trump campaign rally
HANDCuffs AND MUGSHOT
Trump, like any other defendant, would face a typical booking process. He would be told that he has the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.
He can be handcuffed and his mug shot taken. Most of the defendants had their hands handcuffed behind their backs, but some white-collar defendants – considered non-violent – had their hands handcuffed in front of them.
Or his lawyers could strike a deal with prosecutors to allow the former president to escape the humiliation of handcuffs and walk in unencumbered. His Secret Service operative – who is required by law to protect all former presidents – would be at his side.
In New York, mugshots are not typically released to the public, although they can be leaked to the media.
THE FORECAST
Trump would then appear for arraignment in Manhattan District Court.
He would probably be released on his own authority and allowed to go home.
Given Trump’s substantial ties to the community and his ongoing 2024 presidential campaign, the judge probably wouldn’t consider him a flight risk and would likely immediately release him on bail, former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti told Time magazine.
Trump has scheduled a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, for March 25 and is expected to stick to his normal campaign schedule.
PREPARATIONS ARE MADE
The New York Police Department, the New York State Court Officers, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Secret Service and the FBI were said to be preparing for an arrest.
That includes preparing for possible protests.
Security barriers were erected around the Manhattan courthouse and district attorney’s office.
In addition, more than a dozen senior police officials and two of Mayor Eric Adams’ top public safety officials held a virtual meeting on March 19 to discuss security, personnel and contingency plans in the event of protests. New York Times reported.
The White House is also monitoring the situation.
“We’re always monitoring the situation here as best we can,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said during an interview on Fox News Sunday.
“And, of course, we don’t want any activity to turn violent — certainly not to the extent we saw on January 6,” he added. “But we’ll keep an eye on this. Of course we keep a close eye on it.’
In addition, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg could expand his own security detail.
Bragg, a Democrat who is the first black person to run the office, has become a target of Trump’s wrath. The former president claims his investigation is politically motivated.
A New York Police Department vehicle stands in front of Trump Tower in New York City
New York police officers move barricades at courthouse ahead of expected indictment from former President Donald Trump
THE LAWSUIT
Each trial would take more than a year, which would mean during the 2024 presidential election in which Trump is a candidate.
The average New York criminal case takes more than a year to go from indictment to trial, former Manhattan district attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo told Reuters.
Meanwhile, the specter of the trial would allow Trump to use it as a political issue, which he has made clear he will.
The former president is expected to target Bragg and President Joe Biden, even though the Stormy Daniels case is a local New York case and not a federal one.
Trump will also be watching to see what Republicans defend him, particularly his rivals in 2024.
There are other complications to a trial, such as the jury selection process.
Trump is clearly well known and most people have an opinion of him in one way or another.
Both the prosecution and defense will use the questioning process to ensure fair and impartial jurors.
The judge could also issue a gag order against jurors to prevent them from speaking to the media. The jurors may also be sequestered.
OTHER COSTS
Former President Trump also faces other investigations – two federal and one state case in Georgia.
The Justice Department is investigating two separate cases: Trump’s possession of hundreds of classified documents in Mar-a-Lago and his attempts to stay in power after losing the 2020 election, including his role in the January 6 uprising in the Capitol.
In addition, a special grand jury has been convened in the state of Georgia to hear whether or not Trump and his allies attempted to pressure officials to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory in the state. The public prosecutor will decide this spring whether or not to file charges.