Was Donald Trump ‘under arrest’ in the Manhattan Courthouse?
On April 4, 2023, former US President Donald Trump was arrested after turning himself in to Manhattan Attorneys for hush money allegations.
“Under arrest” in this context simply means that Trump was in the custody of New York authorities pending his indictment and indictment. That was expected and planned.
On March 30, 2023, former US President Donald Trump was indicted by the Manhattan Attorney’s Office on charges related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels the first Ex-President to be charged in a criminal investigation.
When news of the indictment broke, a spokesman for the Manhattan court overseeing the case announced that Trump’s indictment would take place on April 4, 2023. As Snopes previously reported, representatives from Trump, the Secret Service and New York authorities were pre-negotiating the terms of Trump’s self-surrender.
As part of their agreement, Trump would voluntarily surrender to the court system but would not be handcuffed. And as the New York Times reportedThis is how the day went: “During pre-trial detention [Trump] was fingerprinted, but special precautions were taken for him: he spent only a short time in the office before his court appearance and was most likely not handcuffed, nor was a mug shot likely to be taken.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a former chief assistant at the Manhattan Attorney’s Office, explained told Insider in late March 2023 that Trump would be “under arrest” from the moment he surrendered. That’s because Trump technically was in custody of the New York court system from the moment he surrendered until a judge approved the terms of Trump’s release while he was indicted.
The accusation was the first time the indictment was read out against the former president. After hearing the charges, Trump pleaded guilty, according to The Times not guilty up to 34 offenses.
Because this sequence technically means Trump was “in custody” for a period of time, we rate the claim as “true.”
Sources
Bromwich, Jonah E., et al. “Live updates: Trump pleads not guilty to 34 counts.” The New York Times, April 4, 2023. NYTimes.com,
“Donald Trump charged; surrender expected early next week.” AP NEWS March 30, 2023
Glossary of Terms | NYCOURTS.GOV. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
Snodgrass, Laura Italiano, Erin. “How a Trump arrest would work: Yes, he will be fingerprinted. No, he probably won’t be handcuffed.” Business Insider accessed April 4, 2023.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-under-arrest/ Was Donald Trump ‘under arrest’ in the Manhattan Courthouse?
