Current:Home > InvestWhy Trump didn't get a mugshot — and wasn't even technically arrested — at his arraignment-LoTradeCoin
Why Trump didn't get a mugshot — and wasn't even technically arrested — at his arraignment
View Date:2024-12-23 15:48:37
Former President Donald Trump was arraigned on at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday – but since he is a former commander-in-chief, his arraignment followed a slightly different process than is typical.
Trump's attorney and spokesperson Alina Habba, who gave a statement while Trump was in the courthouse, responded to questions from CBS News about whether the former president had been arrested, fingerprinted and had a booking photo — commonly called a mugshot — taken: "President Trump is in a very unique position where he doesn't need to be given a mugshot, obviously," Habba said. "He is not a flight risk. He is the leading candidate of the GOP at the moment. He is going through a process that has been coordinated with Secret Service and it will all be handled seamlessly."
Law enforcement carries out an arrest when there is probable cause that a crime has been committed.
An arraignment is different. It happens after an indictment has been filed and is the defendant's first appearance in court where they are read their rights and the charges against them. It is during the arraignment they enter their plea. Trump was not arrested and handcuffed; instead, he surrendered himself and showed up to his arraignment.
In federal courts, the defendant is typically processed after being arraigned, but Trump completed the booking process before he entered the courtroom. Trump was expected to be swabbed for DNA, which goes into a database and is required in the federal court system. He was also fingerprinted.
He was not handcuffed, but instead in the custody of the U.S. Marshals, according to an official familiar with the arraignment.
Instead of having a booking photo taken, officials downloaded an official photograph. In the federal court system, cameras are not allowed inside courtrooms and if mugshots are taken, they are not released, says CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman.
The process was similar during his first arraignment, on state charges, at a lower Manhattan court in April. There, Trump was not handcuffed and did not have a "perp walk," where the defendant is walked into the building within public view. Only still cameras were allowed inside the Manhattan courtroom.
He also didn't have a booking photo taken during his New York arraignment. Despite the absence of the shot, his campaign began selling T-shirts with a black-and-white image of Trump that resembles a booking photo, but was not.
Following the booking process, Trump and his attorneys entered the courtroom shortly before 3 p.m. There, he, via his attorney Todd Blanche, entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.
"Your honor, we most certainly enter a plea of not guilty," Blanche said.
While there were glimpses of Trump during his first arraignment as he walked from the courtroom, there was no public sighting of Trump at the Miami courthouse, except for his motorcade.
Similar to the New York case, Trump did not need to post bail, but the court may impose restrictions on him, Klieman said. The GOP presidential candidate did not have to surrender his passport and is not restricted from travel either within the U.S. or internationally. But the court also said Trump is not allowed to communicate with codefendant Walt Nauta specifically about the facts of the case. During the New York arraignment, conditions were not set.
The former president was indicted last week on 37 counts related to sensitive documents brought from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago club and alleged efforts to obstruct the investigation.
Pat Milton, Graham Kates and Rob Legare contributed to this report.
- In:
- Donald Trump
- Indictment
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Tesla Cybertruck modifications upgrade EV to a sci-fi police vehicle
- Erich Anderson, 'Friday the 13th' and 'Felicity' actor, dies after cancer battle
- 'Tickled': Kentucky dad wins big in Powerball 3 months after his daughter won lotto game
- Arizona man gets 15 years in prison for setting woman’s camper trailer on fire
- Messi breaks silence on Inter Miami's playoff exit. What's next for his time in the US?
- Caitlin Clark, WNBA rookies have chance to 'set this league on fire,' Billie Jean King says
- Psychedelic drug MDMA faces FDA panel in bid to become first-of-a-kind PTSD medication
- Gunman captured after shootout outside US Embassy in Lebanon
- 'Joker 2' actor pans DC sequel as the 'worst film' ever: 'It has no plot'
- Christian McCaffrey signs 2-year extension with 49ers after award-winning 2023 campaign
Ranking
- Powell says Fed will likely cut rates cautiously given persistent inflation pressures
- Carrie Underwood Shares Glimpse at Best Day With 5-Year-Old Son Jacob
- Are peaches good for you? Nutrition experts break down healthy fruit options.
- Trump’s lawyers ask judge to lift gag order imposed during New York trial
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Red Velvet, Please
- Phoenix using ice immersion to treat heat stroke victims as Southwest bakes in triple digits
- New study finds Earth warming at record rate, but no evidence of climate change accelerating
- Maine company plans to launch small satellites starting in 2025
Recommendation
-
Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out of Retirement at 40
-
Evangeline Lilly says she's on an 'indefinite hiatus' from Hollywood: 'Living my dreams'
-
The Book Report: Washington Post critic Ron Charles (June 2)
-
NY man charged in sports betting scandal that led to Jontay Porter’s ban from NBA
-
Pennsylvania House Republicans pick new floor leader after failing to regain majority
-
New Orleans plans to spiff up as host of next year’s Super Bowl
-
Nara Smith Shares Glimpse Into Husband Lucky Blue Smith's Extravagant Birthday Celebration
-
Connecticut’s top public defender fired for misconduct alleged by oversight commission