Trump and his assistant are facing 37 criminal counts.
Donald Trump, the former president of the United States of America, has pleaded not guilty to 37 charges stemming from alleged mishandling of confidential data.
The embattled former president had already submitted himself to a Federal Court in Miami, Florida, for allegedly storing and concealing sensitive information. During Trump's appearance in federal court in Miami on Tuesday, his attorneys requested a jury trial.
"We will almost certainly enter a plea of not guilty," Trump attorney Todd Blanche told the judge.
According to CBS, Trump, who reportedly arrived in the court on Tuesday, was accused with retaining key national security materials and obstructing efforts by security officers to retrieve them from him.
During Tuesday's hearings, Deputy Marshals booked the former president and took computerized copies of his fingerprints. They did not take a mugshot of Trump because he is easily identified. According to CNN, the booking procedure took around 10 minutes. Walt Nauta, Trump's adviser and co-defendant, was also detained, fingerprinted, and processed. The criminal allegations in the Justice Department's classified papers investigation put the GOP front-runner in legal risk in 2024. The hearing on Tuesday was strictly procedural. Trump will enter a plea, the conditions of his pretrial release will be discussed, and potential restrictions on Trump's conduct may be brought up as the case progresses.
Meanwhile, scores of supporters waved flags on a street near the Miami court where Trump surrendered and was processed.
They waved flags in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the former president. Trump's vehicle entered the court through an underground door, and he was not observed entering.
President Joe Biden was not involved in Trump's criminal indictment, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Asked if Biden, whose attorney general, Merrick Garland, was appointed the special counsel in the investigation, influenced the indictment, she said, “Not at all. He was not involved. The president has been very clear: The Department of Justice is independent. He wants to restore the independence of the Department of Justice. And that is what you have seen.”
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