Former US President Donald Trump said he might be arrested on March 21: All about the case and charges – The Times of India

New Delhi: Donald Trump announced that he is He is preparing for arrest on March 21 over alleged payments to a porn star in 2016.
The arrest of a former president – who is also an active candidate for the White House in 2024 – would be unprecedented in American history.
In his usual brash style, Trump has been criticizing the “rigged” justice system and has called on his supporters to stage protests.

“The major Republican nominee and former President of the United States of America will be arrested on Tuesday next week,” the 76-year-old billionaire recently said on Truth Social, adding: “Protest, give back our nation!”
Here’s what you need to know:
What is the issue with the porn star?
The current investigation, led by Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, is focused on $130,000 paid weeks before the 2016 election to stop the porn star. Stormy Daniels From announcing a relationship she says she had with Trump years ago.
Trump denied having an affair with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and dismissed the investigation as politically motivated.
On March 13, a New York court heard Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, who made the payment to Daniels. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 on related federal charges. He pleaded guilty but said he was following Trump’s orders.
Daniels herself met with prosecutors on March 15 and “agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if necessary,” according to her attorney, Charles Brewster.
Trump has been called to testify, which legal experts say indicates an indictment is imminent.
What are the charges against Trump?
The payment to Daniels, if not properly construed, could result in misdemeanor charges for falsifying business records. This may be elevated to a felony if the false accounting was intended to cover up a second offense, such as a campaign finance violation.
Trump’s lawyer said his client, if indicted, would surrender to face criminal charges.
What could happen next week?
In the near term, any indictment would require Trump to travel to the attorney general’s office in downtown New York to surrender. In white-collar cases, the defendant’s attorneys and prosecutors usually agree on a date and time, rather than having the person arrested at home.
Trump’s fingerprints and a picture of his face will be taken and he will appear in court. Experts said he was likely to be released on his own recognizance and allowed to go home.
Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, said Trump would surrender if charged.
If Trump refuses to come voluntarily, prosecutors could seek his extradition from Florida, where he currently resides.
When will Trump be arrested?
Trump has said he expects to be “caught” on March 21, as prosecutors have given signs of approaching an indictment.
However, Trump’s attorney, Susan Nicholas, noted that his posts on Saturday were based on media reports and not on any new action taken by prosecutors.
Reports said authorities were planning to increase security around the Manhattan courthouse in the coming days.
Can Trump really be arrested?
Sitting presidents are largely immune from criminal prosecution, however, and Trump was ousted from the White House in the 2020 election, making him as subject to the rule of law as everyone else.
The former president has extraordinary security protocols, however, and the terms regarding any arrests would have to be worked out with the Secret Service.
This is uncharted territory for all agencies involved. Even US President Richard Nixon was pardoned before he faced the criminal justice system for his involvement in the Watergate scandal.
The average New York criminal case takes more than a year to go from indictment to trial, and Trump’s case is far from typical.
Legal experts said any trial for the former US president would still be more than a year away, and could coincide with the final months of the 2024 presidential campaign if Trump seeks a return to the White House.
What was Trump’s reaction?
Trump appeared to confirm rumors of his imminent arrest in a series of posts on his Truth Social account on Saturday.
Using all caps for emphasis, Trump began on a dire note, decrying the “death” of the American Dream; the corruption of “radical left anarchists”; and the injustice of “capturing the patriots and putting them in captivity like animals.”
He continued, “Now, illegal leaks from the highly corrupt and political attorney general’s office in Manhattan… indicate that… the preeminent Republican nominee and former President of the United States of America, will be arrested on Tuesday. Next week.”
Trump called on his supporters to take to the streets: “Protest, bring back our nation! It’s time!!! We must save America! Protest, protest, protest!!!

The calls for a new wave of unrest — and the alarming echoes on January 6 — come as Trump recently gained access to his major social media accounts, including his YouTube account on March 17.
How will the arrest affect Trump’s dreams in the White House?
Some observers believe the indictment does not bode well for Trump’s chances in 2024, while others say it could provide a major boost.
“The arrest secures the nomination for Donald Trump,” Rick Wilson, a political strategist who left the Republican Party in protest of Trump, wrote on Twitter. Al Qaeda will rally politically and perhaps financially.”

And tech billionaire Elon Musk, a self-described billionaire who has increasingly sided with Republicans and overturned Trump’s Twitter ban, has gone even further.
“If this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide,” Musk said in a tweet.
Even a conviction in the financial hush-hush case will not prevent Trump from running, but the indictment could have serious consequences, provoking his critics, but also angering his supporters.
What was the Democrats’ response?
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denounced Trump’s announcement as “reckless,” saying it would “spark unrest among his supporters.”
Justice must run its course, she insisted: “Whatever the grand jury decides, its consideration makes clear: No one is above the law, not even a former President of the United States.”
“He can’t hide from his violations of the law, his disrespect for our elections, and his incitement to violence,” added Pelosi, who was still speaking when Trump was impeached for inciting the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol.
How did the Republicans react?
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy responded angrily, accusing New York prosecutors of seeking “political revenge” against Trump.
McCarthy vowed on Twitter to launch a congressional investigation into the matter and said the impending arrest was “an outrageous abuse of power by the extremist DA who lets violent criminals walk while seeking political revenge against President Trump.”

Mike Pence, who recently said Trump endangered the former vice president’s family on Jan. 6, chose to echo the party line: bashing the Manhattan attorney general and questioning his motives.
Rudy Giuliani of Truth Social said: “What the Democrats do to President Trump, they will do to you. They have destroyed the fair and equal administration of justice in the United States.”
representative. Andy Biggs of Arizona played a dubious spin on the truth, writing: “President Trump is on his way to indictment before any of the Biden crooks. Think about it. We have a two-tiered justice system.”
Also on Truth Social, Rep. Ronnie Jackson of Texas (Trump’s former White House physician) railed against “Soros-owned executives” involved in a “vendetta against conservatives” before emerging to endorse President Biden’s ouster. “The nation is falling apart. We need Trump back in power now!”
What other legal problems does Trump face?
Trump faces several state and federal criminal investigations into possible wrongdoing that threatens his new candidacy for the White House.
In Georgia, the attorney general is investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss in the southern state. The grand jury in that case has recommended multiple indictments, the principal revealed last month.
The former president is also the subject of a federal investigation into his handling of classified documents as well as his possible involvement in the Jan. 6 riot.
(with input from agencies)
He watches Former US President Donald Trump said he will be arrested next week