How Trump’s date with destiny could end at 2.15pm on Tuesday

Donald Trump may be a billionaire and former president, but he will be treated like any other suspected criminal when he is indicted on Tuesday over silent payments to a porn star.

Trump will face the humiliation of being booked and processed, then have his fingerprints and a photo of his face taken before appearing before a judge in a court hearing expected at 2.45pm.

While the usual protocols apply, no former US President has ever been charged with a crime in the US – and there are still many elements that are never seen before. Some questions remain unanswered: Will the Secret Service detail be on his side the whole time? Where will Trump be treated? Is he going to have a prep walk?

Lawyers for the former president hope he will be excused from the plays he forces some of the suspects to perform. It is unlikely that he will be handcuffed during the procedure, and walking on foot can be risky—particularly because violent protests may occur outside the Manhattan courthouse where he will appear.

But Trump loves publicity — and he knows powerful images of his arrest will resonate deeply with his supporters. Trump may believe that photos of him in shackles will cement his reputation as a political martyr — and help his bid for re-election as president in 2024.

A long list of agencies converges on Friday to determine how Trump will capitulate. Officials from the New York Police Department, the US Secret Service, the US Marshals, and New York state court officials are participating in the discussions.

Trump, who is currently at his Mar-a-Lago resort, is expected to fly from Florida to a New York airport early Tuesday to surrender.

The former president can fly in his newly refurbished Boeing 757 ‘Trump Force One’. But due to security concerns and the detailed planning required, law enforcement officials may want him to travel in a government plane accompanied by a U.S. Marshal.

As a former president, Trump is entitled to personal security details from the Secret Service for the rest of his life. His Secret Service agents would travel with him to New York.

Trump is expected to fly into JFK, although it is not out of the question that he will fly into another airport, such as LaGuardia.

From the airport, he is expected to travel directly to the Manhattan DA office for reservations and processing. There is also a chance that Trump could be booked into a New York Police Station, although this is less likely due to the logistics involved. The DA’s office is better equipped to handle a case of this size.

He will travel to the site in an entourage with his Secret Service details and possibly a convoy of law enforcement officials.

Once at the detention facility, Trump will go through the same process as any other suspected fraudster to pass through the early stages of New York’s criminal justice system.

It is likely that he will first need to hand over any personal items for safe keeping. This could include things like a wristwatch or his or her mobile phone. Trump will provide personal information such as his name and date of birth.

His fingerprints will be taken and he will take a picture. NYPD policy prohibits mug footage from being released publicly, although it has been leaked in the past. Trump could even seek to edit the image for himself – as a symbol of the oppression he claims to face.

The main question about this part of the process is whether Trump will accompany his Secret Service details. Defendants are usually processed without their attorneys present, but it’s not clear what the rules are for Secret Service agents. This will be among the questions law enforcement officials will answer as they plan the operation.

In general, the reservation process is expected to take about three hours. Officials will want to get this done quickly because of the circus surrounding the indictment.

After that, Trump will head to court in his first appearance. The indictment will be revealed and the world will hear the charges that the grand jury decides the former president will face.

Manhattan Supreme Court is the likely venue. It is well-equipped for high-profile cases and gives law enforcement officials the best opportunity to install measures—including a security perimeter—that will reduce the potential for unwanted problems such as violence.

It is very unlikely that Trump entered the building. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will want to avoid deepening the backlash he faced for bringing the case. But it may be Trump who wants to show the process.

Once in court, Trump will appear before a judge and be presented with charges decided by a grand jury. Trump will deny the charges.

The judge is expected to be Judge Juan Merchant, who previously presided over the Trump Organization’s fraud trial, in which the family business was fined $1.2 million on a range of charges.

Outside the court, protests are likely – by both Trump supporters and opponents. Law enforcement agencies are developing detailed plans to reduce the chaos. All uniformed personnel of the New York Police Department must be “Ready to Deploy”.

There is no escape from a media circus of hundreds of journalists and photographers.