Many people who spoke to the press claim that meetings between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies have been occurring in New York City all week to plan how to get ready for a potential indictment of former President Donald Trump as early as next week.
Senior staff members from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, the New York State Court Officers, who provide security at the state supreme court building in lower Manhattan, and the New York Police Department have met, according to law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The processes for a potential criminal indictment by a New York county grand jury and the probability of an unprecedented arrest of a former US president have been the main topics of discussion.
Trump would have to step down by the time the indictment expired. Trump would be taken to the Manhattan district attorney’s office by a US Secret Service detail for fingerprinting and mug shots at the detective squad’s offices. The former president would be taken directly to an arraignment before a judge following processing for arrest, as is common in situations where a suspect is allowed to voluntarily surrender.
There, he would probably be released on his own recognizance. The idea that a criminal investigation against Trump could result in fresh threats from the former president’s supporters against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his staff has also been discussed between the NYPD and the FBI. Both those who follow internet theories and groups like QAnon and the Proud Boys have issued these threats.
According to a source in federal law enforcement, the Secret Service agents in command of Trump’s security detail in Palm Beach, Florida, have communicated with the Secret Service’s New York office. The former president’s transportation to the district attorney’s office, the arraignment process, navigating crowds and a media frenzy, and the exiting court have all been explored in terms of logistics.
Also, it has been mentioned that the former president and his lawyers would want to have a press conference elsewhere, most likely in Trump Tower as opposed to in front of the courtroom. The steps involved in organizing a surrender, dealing with an arrest, going through an arraignment, and, ideally, leaving the courtroom are very standard in New York’s criminal judicial system.
However, due to the unprecedented difficulties and concerns surrounding how to handle that with a former president of the United States who is protected by the Secret Service, has a sizable following, and is under armed guard, the series of in-person meetings over the past few days have been concentrated on logistics, security, and coordination.