Trump To Reportedly Avoid Handcuffs, Jail Cell Or Mug Shot Despite 34 Felony Counts

Donald Trump will reportedly be charged with 34 felony counts and placed under arrest, but will not be put in handcuffs, placed in a jail cell, or have a mug shot taken.

What Happened: The procedures typical for defendants will be skipped for Trump until a judge has decided on pretrial conditions, reported Yahoo News, citing people familiar with the matter.

A New York City police arrest report will be prepared for the former president and will be entered into the court records before he is ushered into a courtroom to be formally arraigned, according to the report.

The 34 felony counts faced by Trump are related to the falsification of business records, reported Yahoo News citing a person familiar with the matter. None of the charges are reportedly classified as misdemeanors. 

Why It Matters: While defendants are handcuffed as they may pose a flight risk or a threat to the court or the district attorney, this was not judged relevant in the case of Trump since he is protected at all times by Secret Service agents, noted Yahoo News.

The falsification of business records can be prosecuted in New York as a misdemeanor but Attorney General Alvin Bragg’s office upped the charges to Class E felonies, the lowest level of felonies in the state’s penal code, according to the report.

The stated reason was that the conduct was to hide another underlying crime, according to the Yahoo News source.

Trump arrived in New York on Monday for the arraignment. He was indicted last week by a New York Grand Jury in an investigation revolving around the payment of $130,000 in hush money to the adult film actor Stormy Daniels.

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