Former President Donald Trump will not be handcuffed when he surrenders to face criminal charges in New York next week, according to his defense lawyer, Joe Tacopina.
Another Trump attorney, Susan Necheles, stated that the former president will enter a not-guilty plea.
While Trump was not expected to be handcuffed, Tacopina said he would be fingerprinted and subjected to other routine procedures when he appeared in court on Tuesday to face charges in an indictment handed down by a grand jury investigating a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
“I’m not sure how this is going to play out,” Tacopina cautioned in an interview. “There is no textbook on how to prosecute a former president of the United States in criminal court.”
Necheles refused to comment on the specifics of the surrender.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment right away.
Tacopina stated that the news of the indictment surprised Trump and his defense team.
“We were all taken aback at first. I didn’t think they’d go through with it because there’s no crime here “Tacopina explained.
