Donald Trump ‘ready to fight’ in court, says lawyer
Former president Donald Trump is ready to fight in court, his lawyer has said.
Trump is due in court on Tuesday to face criminal charges after he paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 (£105,000) in hush money to buy her silence over an alleged affair.
He plans to appear in court in Manhattan on Tuesday before flying back and addressing his supporters in a televised address in Florida on Tuesday evening.
He is the first former president to face criminal charges.
Joe Tacopina said any charges against the former president will be fought vigorously.
“He’s someone who’s going to be ready for this fight,” Mr Tacopina told ABC’s This Week programme on Sunday.
“We’re ready for this fight. And I look forward to moving this thing along as quickly as possible to exonerate him.”
The former president is expected to fly to New York on Monday and stay at his Trump Tower in Manhattan overnight ahead of his planned arraignment on Tuesday.
He is expected to report to the courthouse early on Tuesday morning, where he will be fingerprinted and have a mug shot taken.
Investigators will complete arrest paperwork and check to see if he has any outstanding criminal charges or warrants.
Once the booking is complete, Trump will appear before a judge for an afternoon arraignment in a Manhattan court.
Officials from the Secret Service and the New York Police Department toured the courthouse on Friday and met about security plans.
The indictment itself has remained sealed, as is standard in New York before an arraignment.
But two people familiar with the matter have told news agency Associated Press that Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offence, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week.
They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that is not yet public.
Mr Tacopina, said he would pore over the indictment once he gets it, then devise the next legal steps.
Any chatter on whether he would ask for a venue change or file a motion to dismiss is premature, he said, though it is common for defence lawyers to do both.
“We’re way too early to start deciding what motions we’re going to file or not file, and we do need to see the indictment and get to work,” he said.
“I mean, look, this is the beginning,” he added.
He plans to appear in court in Manhattan on Tuesday before flying back and addressing his supporters in a televised address in Florida on Tuesday evening.
He is the first former president to face criminal charges.
Joe Tacopina said any charges against the former president will be fought vigorously.
“He’s someone who’s going to be ready for this fight,” Mr Tacopina told ABC’s This Week programme on Sunday.
“We’re ready for this fight. And I look forward to moving this thing along as quickly as possible to exonerate him.”
The former president is expected to fly to New York on Monday and stay at his Trump Tower in Manhattan overnight ahead of his planned arraignment on Tuesday.
He is expected to report to the courthouse early on Tuesday morning, where he will be fingerprinted and have a mug shot taken.
Investigators will complete arrest paperwork and check to see if he has any outstanding criminal charges or warrants.
Once the booking is complete, Trump will appear before a judge for an afternoon arraignment in a Manhattan court.
Officials from the Secret Service and the New York Police Department toured the courthouse on Friday and met about security plans.
The indictment itself has remained sealed, as is standard in New York before an arraignment.
But two people familiar with the matter have told news agency Associated Press that Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offence, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week.
They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that is not yet public.
Mr Tacopina, said he would pore over the indictment once he gets it, then devise the next legal steps.
Any chatter on whether he would ask for a venue change or file a motion to dismiss is premature, he said, though it is common for defence lawyers to do both.
“We’re way too early to start deciding what motions we’re going to file or not file, and we do need to see the indictment and get to work,” he said.
“I mean, look, this is the beginning,” he added.
