The justice system has truly failed to do its job.
Former President Donald Trump is facing criminal charges in New York City today (Tuesday, April 4th, 2023) related to hush money payments. This marks the first time in American history that a former president will face criminal charges. Trump is expected to enter a plea of not guilty before Judge Juan Merchan at 2 p.m. when the charges against him will be revealed.
The legal troubles, media attention, and scandalous nature of the case are a new chapter for Trump, whose career has been characterized by both scandal and success for four decades. This time, the fate of American democracy is being called into question, as Trump’s supporters and detractors argue that his legal woes are an attempt to illegitimately deny him a return to power.
Security is high at the courthouse and nearby areas as officials prepared for protests amid the unprecedented arraignment of a former president. The judge has barred TV cameras from inside the courtroom but will allow some photographers to capture historic images. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has called the investigation a “witch hunt” by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, a Democrat whom Trump has accused of being a “racist.”
The exact charges will be revealed at the arraignment, but sources say Trump faces approximately 30 counts relating to document fraud connected to hush money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign. Legal experts have said that Trump’s charges do not qualify for bail because they are nonviolent offenses. While Trump has called for a change of venue and judge, officials have said that Judge Merchan was randomly assigned to oversee the grand jury investigation and that he generally tries any cases that come out of the grand jury.