Barriers stand close to Trump Tower in New York City on Friday.

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Timothy A. Clary/AFP by way of Getty Images

Barriers stand close to Trump Tower in New York City on Friday.

Timothy A. Clary/AFP by way of Getty Images

The information of former President Donald Trump’s historic indictment has elicited strong reactions and raised loads of questions. Key amongst them: What occurs now?

A New York grand jury has voted to indict Trump for his alleged function in overlaying up hush cash paid to grownup movie actress Stormy Daniels throughout his 2016 presidential election marketing campaign. However, the indictment stays beneath seal, that means the fees and proof in opposition to him should not but identified.

WNYC reporter Ilya Marritz, who covers Trump’s authorized affairs tells Morning Edition {that a} grand jury course of is “secret by design.”

“Until we read that indictment, we don’t know the specific charges Trump will have to defend himself against,” he provides. “And that’s a good reason to treat headlines and hot takes with a little bit of skepticism.”

Still, we do know that the 23-person grand jury heard proof within the case, together with testimony from Daniels and Trump’s former private legal professional, Michael Cohen. At least 12 members (a majority) determined there was sufficient affordable trigger to consider that Trump dedicated a criminal offense.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s workplace confirmed that call on Thursday, saying it had contacted Trump’s legal professional “to coordinate his surrender” to authorities.

A spokesperson for the New York Office of Court Administration has since confirmed to NPR that Trump is anticipated to look in court docket on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Trump must be arraigned in particular person

An indictment is often unsealed on the day of a defendant’s arraignment, in response to Marritz.

That’s when Trump would are available for images, fingerprints and paperwork, in addition to to enter a plea, a course of that typically takes several hours.

Bragg has stated repeatedly that the justice system ought to deal with a former president the identical means as every other defendant, so Marritz thinks it is possible Trump must undergo the everyday steps of an arraignment.

Even so, his standing is anticipated to pose some uncommon logistical challenges.

“It’s gonna involve lawyers, cops, the Secret Service, the ex-president himself,” Marritz says. “Trump is not known for hiding from cameras, and I’m certain there will be a lot of cameras there.”

The processing itself would happen behind closed doorways. Typically, defendants then go earlier than a decide to listen to the fees in opposition to them and enter a plea.

Two of Trump’s legal professionals, who deny that he dedicated any crime, told Reuters on Friday that he is not going to be handcuffed when he arrives, and plans to enter a not responsible plea.

“This is the first time that it really seems likely that the former president of the United States will be having a mugshot, being fingerprinted and having not just this indictment … but more indictments to come,” presidential historian Douglas Brinkley tells Morning Edition. “So we’re in for a very rocky spring.”

New York law enforcement officials stand outdoors the Manhattan District Attorney’s workplace in New York City on Friday.

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Leonardo Munoz/AFP by way of Getty Images

New York law enforcement officials stand outdoors the Manhattan District Attorney’s workplace in New York City on Friday.

Leonardo Munoz/AFP by way of Getty Images

The case might go to trial

Trump’s indictment raises loads of distinctive authorized and political questions, given his former job and the truth that he is at present campaigning to carry it once more.

But he is nonetheless entitled to the identical due course of as everybody else, says Kim Wehle, a former U.S. legal professional and now a legislation professor on the University of Baltimore.

When requested concerning the potential prices in opposition to him and penalties they might carry, she says that is “way, way down the line,” telling Morning Edition there are many hurdles to get by first.

“There are a lot of procedural, evidentiary and constitutional protections in place to make sure that that far-off question is fairly adjudicated,” Wehle provides.

Matthew Galluzzo, a former prosecutor within the New York County District Attorney’s Office, says a attainable conviction comes all the way down to extra than simply the proof — it is also concerning the people who find themselves contemplating it.

A case will be robust in Manhattan and weak in Staten Island, simply based mostly on the make-up of the jury pool, he tells Morning Edition.

And Trump, who won 22.6% of New York City ballots in 2022, is extensively unpopular in Manhattan — with Galluzzo calling him “possibly the most despised person on the island.”

“If I had to pick which side to be on, and I had to win to save my life, I would probably choose to be on the prosecution’s side simply because the jury pool in Manhattan is so incredibly against Donald Trump,” he provides.

Protesters rally in entrance of Trump Tower in New York City on Friday.

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Protesters rally in entrance of Trump Tower in New York City on Friday.

Timothy A. Clary/AFP by way of Getty Images

That trial won’t occur for some time

Galluzzo expects protection attorneys to argue that it will not be honest for Trump to get a good trial in Manhattan and push to have it moved some other place.

And he does not assume that is the one pretrial movement Trump’s crew will make.

Most comparable instances would most likely take a yr to get to trial, Galluzzo says. He expects that Trump’s technique will probably be to delay that course of as a lot as attainable.

“If he can push this thing back until after the election then he can effectively win the trial that way,” he says.

He says it’s theoretically attainable to delay a case some two or three years, utilizing motions and appeals.

But the one factor he isn’t anticipating to see is a settlement deal reached by the 2 events.

“They’re not gonna make him an offer that he would accept,” he provides. “And I think more than anything he probably wants that public stage to play the victim, to have an audience.”