Here’s what Trump’s possible arrest in New York could look like

The grand jury was impaneled in January to determine whether there was enough evidence in Bragg’s probe to charge Trump with a crime. Trump was invited to appear before the grand jury earlier this month, a move that is seen as one of the final steps before the end of the investigation. Trump declined to testify.

If the grand jury votes for an indictment, it will first be filed under seal, and it could stay that way until around the time Trump is presented before a judge. It could also be unsealed earlier by a judge overseeing the matter.

Trump’s lawyers would be notified of the indictment and a surrender date will be determined. That time is negotiable: It could be as soon as a day or two after the indictment, or it could be further out.

“Usually these things are pretty well coordinated with the defense lawyers,” said Michael Bachner, a white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former assistant district attorney in the Rackets Bureau of the Manhattan DA’s office.

Given Trump’s recent calls for protests, prosecutors may have an incentive to give Trump a shorter surrender date, Bachner said.

Trump, who has spent much of his post-presidency time at his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Palm Beach, Florida, will likely travel directly to the district attorney’s office in lower Manhattan to turn himself in.

While Trump could technically have an avenue to challenge extradition to New York, that move is considered extremely unlikely.

“It doesn’t behoove Trump to run and hide from state to state,” wrote Jeremy Saland, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney. Fleeing the charges “would blow up his image of virile masculinity worse than a horseless, shirted Vladimir Putin,” Saland added.

Trump’s attorney, Joseph Tacopina, said last week that Trump will follow the normal procedure if he is indicted.

Once at the DA’s office, Trump would be formally arrested, he’d be fingerprinted, get his mugshot taken and be interviewed by DA detectives for an arrest report. He will also be asked for so-called pedigree information, which is the defendant’s personal information, including his name, address and date of birth.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/22/trump-grand-jury-indictment-how-possible-arrest-in-ny-could-go.html