The arraignment of former President Donald Trump took place on Tuesday at a federal courthouse in Miami, where he pleaded not guilty to 37 charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents.

During the proceedings, Trump’s legal team requested a jury trial and formally entered a plea of not guilty, as confirmed by his attorney, Todd Blanche, who addressed the judge.

Throughout the hearing, Trump maintained a hunched posture, with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, choosing not to speak, CNN has reported.

Walt Nauta, an aide to Trump and a co-defendant in the case, was also taken into custody, subjected to fingerprinting and processing.

While Nauta had an initial appearance on Tuesday, his arraignment has been scheduled for June 27.

The charges brought against Trump in the classified documents case by the Justice Department signify an escalation in the legal jeopardy faced by the front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination.

Special Counsel Jack Smith was present at the arraignment proceedings.

Trump is confronted with 37 felony counts, alleging his unlawful retention of national defense information and the concealment of documents in violation of witness-tampering laws related to the Justice Department’s investigation into these materials.

Written by staff