Will Trump be arrested in Stormy Daniels case? “Not lifted from bed by the police, but a mug shot” | Abroad

Although Trump has been taken to court countless times in his life, the former president has never actually been prosecuted. However, New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg seems to be changing that now. According to well-informed American media, Bragg is making the very last preparations for a criminal case against Trump. An indictment could follow as early as next week.

The case revolves around porn actress Stormy Daniels, with whom Trump allegedly had an affair in 2006. When Daniels – real name Stephanie Clifford – threatened to blow the whistle, she was paid $ 130,000 (about 122,000 euros) by Trump’s then lawyer Michael Cohen. However, that payment – coincidentally just before the 2016 presidential election – was ordered by Trump, prosecutor Bragg said.

If indicted, Trump would be the first former president to face criminal charges. The case is spicy for more reasons. Criminal charges could affect the presidential race in 2024. The flamboyant businessman announced last November that he wants to dethrone Biden and throw himself into the Republican race. Trump, 76, is currently leading in the polls, ahead of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who everyone expects to run for office.

Once an indictment follows, it will be at least a year before Trump actually stands trial. That’s the turnaround time for an average New York case, says Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a former assistant district attorney in Manhattan, New York. “And Trump’s case is very atypical too.” It significantly increases the likelihood of Trump being in court in the middle of campaign time or even after the election.

A quick charge nevertheless seems logical. This month Trump was called to appear before a so-called ‘Grand Jury’. Such a call is a condition for possible prosecution in the US.

However, a real arrest, in which the police lift Trump from his bed at home in Florida or elsewhere, is very unlikely, according to legal experts. In “white collar crime” cases, the prosecutor usually makes an appointment with the defense attorneys. The suspect then neatly reports to the prosecutor on the agreed date and time. In Trump’s case, he will then travel to his former home city of New York.

Moreover, Trump will not be taken into custody. Given his fame and because he is participating in the presidential elections, the judge will not consider him a flight risk. In that case, the former president will almost certainly be immediately released on bail. At most, he must transfer a hefty deposit.

Nevertheless, this form of arrest remains painful. Trump would be fingerprinted and have a police photo taken of him. In America, this ‘mugshot’ is also shared with the press, so that Trump ends up in a row of celebrity mugshots that can be found on the internet forever.

Trump himself claims to have done nothing wrong. He denies both the affair with porn star Stormy Daniels and that he had to pay hush money. According to him, there is a political persecution by Democratic prosecutor Alvin Bragg.

If the case ends with a fizzle for Trump, he is far from out of trouble. There are several other investigations against him, including interference in the presidential election in the state of Georgia. Even more explosive is the investigation into his role in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 by thousands of Trump supporters. Trump’s taking of countless confidential top secret documents after his resignation is also under investigation.

LOOK ALSO. We know what former first lady Melania Trump thinks of Stormy Daniels through a secretly recorded sound recording: “The porn hooker”