On June 13, 2023, former US president Donald J. Trump appeared in court in Miami to face charges that he jeopardized military secrets after he left the White House.
As was expected, the former President pleaded not guilty to federal criminal charges that he hoarded classified military secrets at his estate in Mar-a-Lago and hindered the government’s attempts to get the documents back.
“Your honor, we most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche told the federal magistrate judge who presided over Trump’s 48-minute arraignment.
After the hearing, the authorities released Trump on his own recognizance. Prosecutors did not ask for any significant pretrial conditions. But the magistrate judge, Jonathan Goodman, did order Trump not to discuss the case with potential witnesses outside the presence of his lawyers.
Trump faces 37 felony charges: 31 counts of willful retention of national security records and six counts for allegedly obstructing the federal effort to recover those documents.
Trump wore his signature blue suit and red tie. He remained stoic throughout the proceeding, keeping his gaze fixed toward the front of the courtroom and his arms folded. He did not speak.
Only about ten members of the public were granted access to the proceeding, with most of the courtroom’s seats occupied by members of the media and Trump’s Secret Service detail.
Trump now faces felony prosecutions in two jurisdictions. Plus, two other ongoing criminal probes into his role in the 2020 election interference — as he mounts his bid to regain the White House in 2024.
Trump could face a lengthy prison term if found guilty in the case of the documents.