Former President Donald Trump to appear in court for arraignment on tax fraud charges | Security tight for highly anticipated event

On Monday, former President Donald Trump arrived in New York to face criminal charges after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. This will be a unique event for both the Manhattan district attorney's office and the New York courthouse, as well as the nation watching to see how it will impact the GOP presidential primary. Despite facing over 30 counts related to business fraud, Trump has remained surprisingly calm and focused, spending his weekend playing golf in Florida and considering how he can use the situation to boost his campaign. The charges are related to a hush money payment scheme and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that allegedly occurred during the 2016 presidential election. Trump and his allies have already attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and Trump's scheduled speech back at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night is likely to provide him with more opportunities to claim political persecution.

On Monday, Donald Trump left Florida and arrived at New York's LaGuardia airport on the same day, where he will stay at Trump Tower overnight before his arraignment on Tuesday. The former president is expected to depart New York immediately after the hearing to return to Florida. Trump's presence in the Manhattan courthouse will be felt even before his appearance, as all trials and most other court activity are being halted in anticipation of his arrival.

To ensure his security, the Secret Service, the New York Police Department, and court officers are coordinating their efforts for Trump's expected appearance. In the early afternoon, the Secret Service will accompany Trump to the district attorney's office, which is in the same building as the courthouse. There, Trump will be booked, including the taking of his fingerprints. Normally, a mugshot would be taken, but sources familiar with the preparations were uncertain as to whether there would be one, as authorities were concerned about the improper leaking of the photo, which would be a violation of state law.

Typically, defendants are booked and held in cells near the courtroom before being arraigned. However, this won't be the case with Trump. Once he is finished being processed, he'll be taken through a back set of hallways and elevators to the floor where the courtroom is located. He'll then come out to a public hallway to walk into the courtroom. Trump is not expected to be handcuffed, as he will be surrounded by armed federal agents for his protection.

According to Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina, this is an unprecedented situation as he's never had Secret Service involved in an arraignment before at 100 Centre Street. All the Tuesday details are still up in the air, but he anticipates that they will very loudly and proudly say "not guilty."

By the afternoon, Trump is expected to be brought to the courtroom, where the indictment will be unsealed, and he will formally face the charges. After his arraignment, Trump will most likely be released on his recognizance. However, conditions could be set on his travel, although this is unlikely.

Ordinarily, a defendant who is released would walk out the front doors of the courthouse. Still, the Secret Service wants to limit the time and space where Trump is in public. After the court hearing, he is expected to walk through the public hallway and into the back corridors to the district attorney's office, where his motorcade will be waiting. Then, he'll head to the airport to return to Mar-a-Lago, where he has an event scheduled that evening to speak publicly.