Fox News is reporting that former President Donald J. Trump will be arrested sometime next week.
“We are learning that the Manhattan DA’s office has asked for a meeting with law enforcement ahead of a potential Trump indictment. This is coming to Fox News from a source in the courts. The meeting, which was requested yesterday and has not been set yet, is to discuss logistics for some time next week, which would mean that they are anticipating an indictment next week. The same source familiar with the planning said they will go over security preparations in and around the courthouse in lower Manhattan,” Fox News said. “Secret service will take the lead in what they will allow or will not allow.”
“The source cautioned mentioning, for instance, the decision to handcuff the former president or not. They will set the tone and will escort him into the courtroom. There will be coordination between all of us the source said, but we will defer to the secret service. The battle will be between secret service and DA Alvin Bragg. They will decide how and when he’ll get into the building and they are not going to leave him.”
“The source believes that the former president will still have to be fingerprinted and processed like every other defendant. So this is a huge development if Alvin Bragg has decided to go ahead with the felony indictment of the former president. This was a charge that the federal officials refused to prosecute on or even really pursue. This was a misdemeanor in New York that Alvin Bragg has decided to elevate to a felony while at the same time downgrading other felonies to misdemeanors. So we’ll be watching this to see how it all unfolds to get more information that comes in.”
WATCH:
BREAKING: Fox News is reporting that President Donald Trump is expected to be arrested next week.pic.twitter.com/FxgfUNVCBF
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 17, 2023
Earlier today, NBC reported that senior officials with local, state, and federal law enforcement and security agencies were getting ready for a potential indictment of former President Donald Trump as soon as next week. This seems to coincide with the Fox News report, however, the correlation cannot be confirmed.
However, according to NBC, the agencies were in talks about potential security measures for the Manhattan Criminal Court and its surroundings as well, should Trump be charged in relation to a supposed hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels.
The magnitude of agencies involved includes the NYPD, New York State Court Officers, the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The scale of preparation highlights the gravity of the situation and the chaotic impact that an indictment could have on Trump’s 2024 campaign and legal future.
NBC News reported:
Law enforcement agencies are conducting preliminary security assessments, the officials said, and are discussing potential security plans in and around the Manhattan Criminal Court, at 100 Centre Street, in case Trump is charged in connection with an alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and travels to New York to face any charges.
The officials stress that the interagency conversations and planning are precautionary in nature because no charges have been filed.
The agencies involved include the NYPD, New York State Court Officers, the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the officials said.
In the United States, an indictment is required for a defendant to be tried for a felony offense in federal court, and in some states, for certain types of felony offenses. An indictment does not result in an immediate arrest, but it does trigger the legal process that can lead to an arrest.
DA Bragg has campaigned on a platform of criminal justice reform and has pledged to reduce the number of people incarcerated in Manhattan, end cash bail for low-level offenses, and hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct. He has also promised to create a more equitable criminal justice system and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Bragg’s election as the Manhattan District Attorney was seen as a significant win for progressive activists and criminal justice reform advocates.