Donald Trump reaches courtroom for initial appearance in 2020 election case

Washington [US], August 4 (ANI): Former US President Donald Trump Former President Donald Trump has entered the courtroom for his first appearance hearing in the election subversion case brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith, CNN reported.

Earlier, when he reached the courtroom, he was in custody at the US District Court in Washington, DC, and will be arraigned soon on criminal charges related to special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, according to CNN.

Special counsel Jack Smith is present in the courtroom for former President Donald Trump’s first appearance Thursday in the election subversion case.

Part of the purpose of Thursday’s (Local time) first appearance hearing is for Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya to approve the bail conditions that will allow Trump to be released from federal custody up until trial. 

This is the third time the former president has been placed under arrest and arraigned in four months.

Trump was placed in the custody of the US Marshals Service and he will be processed as part of the proceedings.

When he was placed into custody for the first appearance in the classified documents prosecution last month in Miami’s federal courthouse, he submitted his fingerprints and provided other information to court officials, though he was not required to take a mugshot.

The processing for the DC appearance will likely be more streamlined, given that Trump is now already in the federal system, CNN reported. 

Trump is expected to plead not guilty.

He has been charged with four counts; Conspiracy to defraud the United States, Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and Conspiracy against rights, CNN reported.