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15-06-2023
FLORIDA: Stony-faced in a blue suit and red tie, Donald Trump sat flanked by defence lawyers in a courtroom to face criminal charges, for the second time since leaving office.
The former president listened with a slight frown while prosecutors accused him of improperly possessing and concealing classified documents. It is the first time a former president has faced federal criminal charges.
There were no cameras, phones, or laptops allowed inside the Miami courthouse, and no photos were taken of Trump’s arraignment.
Just a few moments before, US Marshals had processed Trump like any other defendant, taking his fingerprints, date of birth, and address. No mugshot was taken, however. Trump was so famous, officials said that they did not need an additional photo.
The former president, known for his bombastic oratorical style, did not address the court once during his arraignment, even to enter a plea.
“We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” one of his attorneys, Todd Blanche, declared on his behalf.
At the same table as Trump was Waltine Nauta, the personal aide that federal prosecutors have charged as a co-conspirator. The two, who had travelled to court together, did not appear to interact once inside the courtroom.
On the other side of the aisle, in the second row, sat Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel who just days ago unveiled the bombshell charges that Trump had hoarded top-secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
He too said nothing, allowing lawyer David Harbach to take the lead arguing the government’s case.
Despite the spectacle, the room was stifled by silence, the whir of the air-conditioner the only sound until the judge arrived at 14:55 local time.
Judge Jonathan Goodman began the proceedings, presiding efficiently and firmly.
The arraignment hearing served two main purposes: to have defendants enter their pleas, and to have the judge set conditions of their bond.
The most significant action Trump took on Tuesday was signing his bond agreement. A court employee passed the document to one of Trump’s lawyers, who then provided it to the former president. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
