Hundreds of media representatives and dozens of supporters as well as opponents of former US President Donald Trump are gathering outside of the Miami courthouse just hours before a scheduled court hearing in the criminal case against Trump is set to start, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene
MIAMI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th June, 2023) Hundreds of media representatives and dozens of supporters as well as opponents of former US President Donald Trump are gathering outside of the Miami courthouse just hours before a scheduled court hearing in the criminal case against Trump is set to start, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.
The first hearing in the criminal probe into an alleged mishandling of classified documents by Trump, whom a grand jury chose to indict on 37 charges, will start at 3:00 p.m. ET.
The area outside the courthouse has been crowded since the early hours of Tuesday and police has placed a yellow tape around the court complex to prevent the crowd from entering the premises.
Many Trump supporters are present near the courthouse, holding flags and banners with signs in support of the former president along those who seek Trump to be prosecuted.
The atmosphere is peaceful but there is enhanced law enforcement presence, complete with a police helicopter flying over the courthouse and police officers walking throughout the crowd of reporters and demonstrators.
The indictment against Trump was released to the public on Friday and it outlined 38 charges against Trump and an aide that include willful retention of national defense information and making false statements.
The indictment came after an FBI investigation into allegations that Trump was storing sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after finishing his term in office. The probe culminated in a heavy-handed FBI raid on Trump's residence in August.
Trump denies all allegations against him and has criticized the probe and the related indictment as being a continuation of the political witch hunt against him, this time to deprive him of running in the 2024 US presidential election.
