Former U.S. President Donald Trump faced a political crisis on the 30th (local time) when he was criminally charged with suspicion of so-called ‘silencing sexual intercourse’.
He became the first former and incumbent president to be prosecuted.
Originally, it was known that the New York Manhattan grand jury would adjourn until April 9, which coincided with spring break and Easter, but the indictment was decided on that day.
Given that the Manhattan grand jury is made up of 23 members, it appears that at least 12 voted in favor of the indictment. An indictment is possible if a majority of 12 or more of the 23 jurors agree.
When the grand jury decided to indict, former President Trump protested that the indictment was politically motivated, saying he was “completely innocent.”
What is the indictment
Former President Trump is suspected of manipulating the books in exchange for $130,000 (approximately 169.18 million won) of company money just before the 2016 US presidential election to silence porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had sex with him.
He denied the allegations, saying he hadn’t had sex with Daniels since 2018, when the rumors started circulating.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said in a media interview that she met former President Trump at a charity golf tournament held in July 2006. Daniels claimed to have had sex once at a hotel overlooking Lake Tahoe, a resort located between California and Nevada at the time. Trump’s attorney denied it.
When asked if Trump had told him not to talk about spending the night together, Daniels said, “He didn’t seem concerned” and “looked a bit arrogant.”
Trump’s wife, Melanie Trump, said she did not attend the golf tournament because she gave birth to a child.
Trump is under investigation by prosecutors on a total of four counts, including this one.
There are four charges, including involvement in counting votes in Georgia in the 2020 US presidential election, inciting supporters during the 2021 1/6 federal congressional invasion, leaking confidential documents after retirement, and receiving preferential treatment in loans or tax payments by inflating their corporate-related assets.
Is it possible to run for president?
Former President Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury but could run for president.
Under U.S. law, you can run for election while in prison if you are indicted, convicted, or even sentenced to prison. So Trump can run for the next presidential election even if he is indicted and faces a trial in the future.
According to CNN, the U.S. Constitution gives people who were born in the United States, over the age of 35, and who have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years the right to run for election.
However, given that Trump was indicted right before the next presidential election, a political blow seems inevitable.
A majority of Americans appear to agree that Trump, who is under various criminal investigations, should be barred from running in the election if he is prosecuted.
When asked last week in a Quinnipiac University poll whether prosecution should prevent Trump from running again, 57% of registered voters agreed, 38% disagreed, and 5% did not know.
Trump claims his innocence and appears to be attempting to mobilize supporters.
“This is the highest level of political persecution and election interference in history,” Trump said in a statement released after the grand jury indictment. It has been a witch hunt with the aim of destroying the ‘Make Great Again’ movement.”
“Democrats lied, cheated and obsessed over Trump to catch him, but now they have done the unthinkable to prosecute a completely innocent man for blatant election meddling.”
◆Future procedures
With this indictment, attention is focused on whether Trump will stand in handcuffs and stand on the photo line.
A while ago, there was an incident where a picture of Trump being arrested was produced by AI and circulated on the Internet.
The Washington Post (WP) reported that whether Trump will be arrested by prosecutors or appear voluntarily may depend on the situation. If Trump continues to refuse to appear, he will likely be arrested in handcuffs. However, it is highly likely that prosecutors will contact Trump’s lawyers in advance and ask if he will voluntarily appear before the prosecution. In this case, Trump could avoid public detention.
However, Trump may be shown to the public intentionally handcuffed to rally his supporters. Trump posted on his social media on the 18th that he would be arrested.
If Trump refuses to appear before prosecutors, prosecutors must seek permission from the state of Florida, where he resides, to extradite him to New York.
When Trump appears at the Manhattan District Prosecutor’s Office, he must go to the court while under arrest and proceed with the Arraignment, answering whether or not the prosecution is true.
During this process, the judge will decide whether Trump can be released on bail, whether he should be tried in custody, or whether he can be released without bail or any restrictions.
Whether Trump will end up in prison will depend on whether the trial is innocence or not. Sentences vary from case to case, but in general, severe sentences for non-violent, relatively low-level felony offenses are rarely imposed on people with no criminal history.
Therefore, even if Trump is convicted, it is unlikely that he will end up in prison.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.