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What's next following Trump indictment

Chris Lefkow, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort &amp; Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, USA, on March 4, 2023. Jim Lo Scalzo, EPA-EFE" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/business/03/25/donald-trump-epa-efe-03252023.jpg"/><figcaption>Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort &amp; Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, USA, on March 4, 2023. <em>Jim Lo Scalzo, EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>WASHINGTON — In a political bombshell, Donald Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury, the first ever serving or former US president to face criminal charges.</p><p>Here&#x27;s what happened on Thursday and what is expected to happen next:</p><div><strong>CRIMINAL CHARGES</strong></div><p>The grand jury, which meets in secret, voted to indict the 76-year-old former Republican president following an investigation led by the Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.</p><p>While the indictment remains under seal, the charges against Trump are believed to relate to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.</p><p>The grand jury, which has been meeting since January, indicted Trump after hearing testimony from a number of witnesses.</p><p>Among those who testified was Trump&#x27;s ex-personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who has admitted arranging a $130,000 payment to Daniels to buy her silence about an affair she had with Trump in 2006.</p><p>Trump was invited to testify in person but declined.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/03/31/23/trump-indicted-over-porn-star-hush-money">Trump indicted, first US president to face criminal charges</a></li></ul><div><strong>SURRENDER</strong></div><p>Bragg said his office had been in touch with Trump&#x27;s attorneys to &quot;coordinate his surrender&quot; for arraignment in New York at a future date.</p><p>At an arraignment, a defendant is presented with the charges facing them and generally enters a plea.</p><p>A judge then decides whether they should be released on bail or taken into custody.</p><p>Extra security has been in place for days around the Manhattan courthouse where Trump is expected to make his first appearance.</p><p>CBS News, citing Trump&#x27;s defense team, said the plan is for the former president to surrender early next week. CBS said the Secret Service would be in charge of the arrangements.</p><p>Prior to an arraignment, a defendant has their fingerprints and a mugshot taken.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/11/15/22/the-legal-woes-of-ex-us-president-donald-trump">The legal woes of former US president Donald Trump</a></li></ul><div><strong>EXTRADITION</strong></div><p>Trump, who insists he is &quot;completely innocent,&quot; could refuse to surrender to the New York authorities, forcing them to seek his extradition from his Florida residence.</p><p>Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential Trump rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said that his state would &quot;not assist in an extradition request.&quot;</p><p>Legal experts said any attempt to fight extradition would at best result in a delay and Trump would eventually have to appear in New York to face the charges.</p><div><strong>NEXT JUDICIAL STEPS </strong></div><p>Once Trump is arraigned and enters a plea, there will be a series of preliminary court hearings to set a date for a trial and decide on witnesses and evidence.</p><p>A defendant can avoid going to trial by entering into a plea agreement with prosecutors, in exchange for a lighter sentence, for example.</p><p>Given Trump&#x27;s proclamations of innocence that is unlikely.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/03/21/23/the-porn-star-the-president-and-130000-in-hush-money">The porn star, the president and $130,000 in &#x27;hush money&#x27;</a></li></ul><div><strong>2024 WHITE HOUSE CANDIDACY</strong></div><p>Trump can -- and undoubtedly will -- pursue his 2024 White House campaign despite facing criminal charges.</p><p>Nothing in the Constitution prevents someone from running for president while facing charges, and even a conviction would not bar them from the nation&#x27;s highest office.</p><p>The 14th Amendment does prohibit anyone who has &quot;engaged in insurrection or rebellion&quot; from holding elected office.</p><p>The House of Representatives impeached Trump for &quot;incitement of insurrection&quot; for the January 6, 2021 attack on Congress by his supporters, but he was acquitted by the Senate.</p><p>A special counsel is currently looking into Trump&#x27;s role in the January 6 assault on Congress and the former president could still potentially face charges on that front.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/29/23/angry-trump-jumpstarts-faltering-2024-campaign">&#x27;Angry&#x27; Trump jumpstarts faltering 2024 campaign</a></li></ul><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ty20ku83n0o?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

In a political bombshell, Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury, the first ever serving or former US president to face criminal charges.

What's next following Trump indictment

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What's next following Trump indictment

Chris Lefkow,

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 31, 2023 02:35 PM PHT

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