NEW YORK, April  4, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Donald Trump was set Tuesday to plead
not guilty to criminal charges in a New York courtroom in an unprecedented case
that threatens to upend the 2024 White House race.

Trump is the first sitting or former American president to be criminally
indicted -- a historic development that has propelled the United States into
uncharted political waters.

Amid tight security in Manhattan, and a global media frenzy, the
76-year-old will learn at his arraignment precisely what charges he faces over
hush money paid to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election that brought him to
power.

The twice-impeached Republican claims he is the victim of "political
persecution" -- but is also using the court case to energize his support base
and raise millions of dollars for his bid to reclaim the White House next year.

He plans to speak to reporters as he walks through the hallways toward
court, one of his lawyers told CNN.

"THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS HAVE CRIMINALIZED THE JUSTICE SYSTEM," Trump
wrote on his social media platform Truth Social hours before the hearing,
branding the legal proceedings a "kangaroo court."

Trump is expected to leave his skyscraper on Fifth Avenue late morning to
make the six-mile (10-kilometer) journey to the court complex where he will
surrender to authorities.

Thousands of police lined the streets while helicopters buzzed in the skies
ahead of the journey that will be carried live on US networks, although video
cameras will not be allowed inside the courtroom.

A couple of dozen Trump supporters and a smattering of anti-Trump
demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse, outnumbered by media personnel.

Trump is likely to undergo the standard booking procedure of being
fingerprinted -- and potentially photographed, which would result in an
all-time famous mug shot.

But there is no precedent for a former president's surrender to court
authorities, and it remains to be seen whether the unpredictable Trump will
follow procedure.

A "perp walk" -- in which a defendant is escorted in handcuffs past media
cameras -- is unlikely for an ex-president under US Secret Service protection.

What is certain is that Trump's lawyers have said their client will deny
all charges during the court hearing, scheduled to start at 2:15 pm (1815 GMT).

About 30 counts, including at least one felony, are expected to be unsealed
during the arraignment, which may last around 15 minutes.

Afterward, Trump is due to return straight to Florida, where he plans to
deliver an evening speech.

- Porn actress -

Trump was indicted last week by a grand jury in the case brought by
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat.

The charges revolve around the investigation of $130,000 paid to adult film
actress Stormy Daniels just days before Trump's election win.

Trump's former lawyer and aide Michael Cohen, who has since turned against
his ex-boss, says he arranged the payment to Daniels in exchange for her
silence about a tryst she says she had with Trump in 2006.

Trump, whose third wife Melania had recently given birth at the time,
denies the affair.

Legal experts have suggested that if not properly accounted for, the
payment could result in charges for falsifying business records, possibly for
the purpose of covering up a campaign finance violation.

Trump is facing a series of separate criminal investigations at the state
and federal level that could result in further -- more serious -- charges
between now and election day.

They include his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of
Georgia, his handling of classified documents, and his possible involvement in
the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Republicans have largely rallied around Trump, including his rival in the
party's presidential primary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who called the
indictment "un-American."

President Joe Biden, mindful that anything he might say could fuel Trump's
claim of a politically "weaponized" judicial system, is one of the few
Democrats holding back over the indictment of his rival.

Asked Monday whether he had faith in the legal system, Biden simply
replied, "Yes."