Trump could have his mugshot taken before appearing before a federal judge—potentially one he appointed—in Miami.
Topline
Former President Donald Trump departed New Jersey on Monday afternoon en route to Miami, where he will appear in federal court for the first time to answer to charges of mishandling classified documents—a spectacle that comes days after federal prosecutors indicted him on charges of taking top-secret documents to Mar-A-Lago in a scheme they allege compromised national security.Key Facts
When will Trump appear in court? Trump has been ordered to appear at a federal courthouse in Miami at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and is expected to surrender himself to authorities beforehand.
Will he be arrested? It is likely Trump will be arrested, booked and taken into custody before he appears before a judge.
Will there be a mugshot? Trump did not have a mugshot taken when he was arrested in New York in April and while common they are not required. Mugshots are generally intended to help recognize someone and officials may consider it pointless given that Trump is one of the most readily recognizable people in the world.
Would we get to see the mugshot? Even if the Department of Justice decided to take a mugshot of Trump, it’s unlikely we would see it unless it’s leaked, as it has a policy of not releasing photographs unless they are already part of the public record.
Will Trump be fingerprinted? Trump was fingerprinted in April and will likely be fingerprinted again in Florida next week as it is standard practice for processing federal criminal defendants.
Will his DNA be profiled? DNA samples are sometimes taken from federal defendants so they can be profiled, as well as added or checked across the government’s DNA databases. It’s not clear whether this will happen or is expected in Trump’s case.
Will Trump be handcuffed? Trump was not handcuffed when he was arrested in New York—he reportedly wanted to make his arrest into a “spectacle”—and given his profile and low security risk he is unlikely to be handcuffed when he appears in court in Florida.
What will happen in court? Once Trump has been processed, he will appear before a judge to hear the charges against him and enter an initial plea of his guilt or innocence. The judge will also set out what happens until the defendant’s trial, for example travel restrictions, restraining orders or bail conditions.
Will Trump be held in jail? It is theoretically possible Trump could be remanded into custody when awaiting trial, but it is highly unlikely a judge would order this. Most people accused of white-collar crimes are not jailed before trial and the former president—imminently recognizable, running for president and followed everywhere by a detail of Secret Service agents—is hardly considered a major flight risk.
