Current:Home > ScamsMembers of the public explain why they waited for hours to see Trump arraigned: "This is historic" -TradeCircle
Members of the public explain why they waited for hours to see Trump arraigned: "This is historic"
View
Date:2025-04-18 04:43:02
Just seven members of the general public, as well as a couple dozen reporters, were allowed into the courtroom during former President Donald Trump's arraignment on 37 federal felony charges.
They waited for hours, unsure if they'd be able to witness the proceeding in person. They entered the courthouse 8:30 a.m. ET, waiting without phones or other devices until after the hearing ended after 3 p.m. ET. Several said they were drawn by the history of the moment.
Raj Abhyanker, a lawyer from California, happened to be in town for his daughter's high school basketball tournament, and decided to "see history." Wearing a T-shirt and shorts, he said he watches big trials frequently — such as that of Elizabeth Holmes — and even took his daughter, who wants to be a lawyer, to part of a local double murder trial.
"I had the day free and the former president's here getting arraigned. It's unprecedented history," Abhyanker said.
He said he thought the indictment was "very detailed, and particularly well laid out." About the audio recordings detailed in the indictment, Abhyanker said, "It goes right into the best evidence they had."
"It just seems like the guy [Trump] is going to have a very tough time," he said. He added that he believes Trump's New York criminal case is weaker, "more bare bones."
After the hearing, Abhyanker said he thought it was interesting that the judge "pushed back on not having a blanket no-condition-based bail bond."
Instead, Trump signed a personal surety bond with a special condition barring him from discussing the case with certain potential witnesses who prosecutors will soon list for the defense. That includes his aide Walt Nauta, who was charged in the indictment with six counts of conspiracy, making false statements and withholding documents.
Lazaro Ecenarro, a Trump supporter wearing a Make America Great Again hat, also said he was drawn to the courthouse by the significance of the moment.
"This is historic," Ecenarro said. "What we're witnessing is historic, but at the same time it's embarrassing because it makes us a laughingstock internationally."
"I'm worried about him," Ecenarro said, referring to Trump. "And I'm worried about our country."
After the arraignment, Ecenarro said Trump looked, "serious" and noted Trump had his arms folded much of the time. Ecenarro said special counsel Jack Smith, whose investigation led the Justice Department to charge Trump, was accompanied by a dozen or so other prosecutors, while Trump had two lawyers. He said he was "worried about Trump, and worried about the country."
Florida attorney Alan Weisberg was another lawyer who said he decided to see "a very important event."
As a young lawyer in Washington, D.C., he attended the Watergate burglars trial and a related Senate hearing.
He called the indictment "very well crafted."
"I think it tells a very good story," Weissberg said.
- In:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Walt Nauta
- Donald Trump
- Politics
- Indictment
- FBI
- Miami
- Florida
- Jack Smith
Graham Kates is an investigative reporter covering criminal justice, privacy issues and information security for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham at KatesG@cbsnews.com or grahamkates@protonmail.com
veryGood! (196)
Related
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan that shields Sackler family faces Supreme Court review
- Las Vegas police search for lone suspect in homeless shootings
- 32 things we learned from NFL Week 13: Why miss out on the playoff controversy fun?
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Dutch lawyers seek a civil court order to halt the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel
- KISS delivers explosive final concert in New York, debuts digital avatars in 'new era'
- 'We do not have insurance. We have an insurance bill': Condos hit with 563% rate increase
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Navy releases $1.5 million plan to remove crashed jet still stuck underwater on Hawaiian coral reef
Ranking
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Woman, 65, receives bloodless heart transplant, respecting her Jehovah's Witness beliefs
- Consider a charitable gift annuity this holiday. It's a gift that also pays you income.
- The World Food Program will end its main assistance program in Syria in January, affecting millions
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Israel expands Gaza ground offensive, says efforts in south will carry no less strength than in north
- Friends Actress Marlo Thomas Shares Sweet Memory of Matthew Perry on Set
- Divers have found wreckage, remains from Osprey aircraft that crashed off Japan, US Air Force says
Recommendation
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
Leading candy manufacturer Mars Inc. accused of using child labor in CBS investigation
This World Soil Day, take a look at the surprising science of soil
Friends Actress Marlo Thomas Shares Sweet Memory of Matthew Perry on Set
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
4 arrested in honor killing of 18-year-old Pakistani woman after doctored photo with her boyfriend goes viral
Wisconsin city files lawsuit against 'forever chemical' makers amid groundwater contamination
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel leaving Oklahoma and is expected to enter transfer portal