NYPD on high alert in anticipation of Trump's trial tomorrow

By al mayadeen english
Source: news agencies
3 Apr 2023 22:04

The NYPD has reportedly set up metal fences all around the court building as well as other judicial buildings around the premise in addition to increasing the number of officers in the area.

A protester holds a sign near Trump Tower, before the former president arrived, in New York on Monday, April 3, 2023 (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has worked up security measures in Manhattan in anticipation of the indictment of former US president Donald Trump, according to a Sputnik correspondent.

The NYPD has reportedly set up metal fences all around the court building as well as other judicial buildings around the premise in addition to increasing the number of officers in the area, according to the correspondent.

The correspondent also assessed that several streets leading to the court will be blocked off before the trial.

The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is currently investigating Trump for a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. According to the New York Times, the investigative invitation of Trump by Bragg could mean the first-ever indictment of a former US President with a criminal charge.

Trump announced on Friday that he will appeal a grand jury indictment against him in Manhattan, claiming that the officials involved in the case are biased. The Trump indictment is becoming a symbol of a rift between the Democrats and Republicans in the US, especially in public opinion.

The indictment is certain to cast a shadow over Trump's 2024 presidential candidacy and opens the door to several possibilities. He may have to run for President while facing a criminal trial if he enters a not-guilty plea and the matter proceeds to trial, which can take several months. However, if he were to win a second term while being sentenced to prison or already serving one, several constitutional problems would arise.

Trump affirmed that his indictment wouldn't preclude him from running for office again. At CPAC in March, when asked if he would still run in 2024 if formally accused, Trump responded, "Oh absolutely. I wouldn’t even think about leaving."

On Truth Social, Trump wrote, in reference to the case, that it was a "Witch-Hunt trying to take down the leading candidate, by far, in the Republican Party."

Michael Cohen, the former attorney in charge of the Trump case, had pleaded guilty in 2018 on federal charges concerning offering Clifford $130,000 as hush money after she claimed she had an affair with Trump, who in turn denies.