Donald Trump’s legal team has entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf for the 37 charges he is facing related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents, Your Content has learned.
During his arraignment at a federal courthouse in Miami, Trump’s lawyers requested a jury trial.
The former president’s attorney, Todd Blanche, made the plea of not guilty on Trump’s behalf.
Prior to the arraignment, Trump and his aide, Walt Nauta, were booked by deputy marshals, with fingerprints taken but no mugshot captured due to Trump’s recognizability.
The charges against Trump in the Justice Department’s case involve allegations of illegally retaining national defense information and concealing documents, potentially violating witness-tampering laws.
Nauta, Trump’s close aide, also faces charges in the indictment, accusing the two men of conspiring to obstruct the federal investigation.
Tuesday’s hearing primarily focused on procedural matters, such as Trump entering his plea and discussing the conditions of his pretrial release.
Special counsel Jack Smith was present at the arraignment.
The judicial process ahead is expected to be lengthy and dramatic, encompassing criminal and appeal proceedings that could span years.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, has been assigned the case.
The hearing was overseen by a magistrate judge, likely Jonathan Goodman, who is on duty in Miami this week.
The bond package, allowing the defendants to remain out of detention while awaiting trial, was discussed during the hearing.
Potential restrictions on Trump and Nauta’s communications with witnesses might be imposed.
The charges Trump faces in this case are more severe than the previous ones brought by New York City’s prosecutors, which involved an alleged hush money scheme during the 2016 campaign.
If convicted, Trump could face several years in prison.
Following the arraignment, the legal proceedings will enter a phase of pretrial proceedings, including disputes over evidence and potential motions to dismiss the case.
Judge Cannon’s role and approach to the case have raised questions, given her controversial handling of the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search in a previous Trump lawsuit.
However, the impact of her involvement on the prosecution remains uncertain, according CNN.
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