Trump leaves Washington DC after pleading not guilty to federal charges

WASHINGTON DC, US - AUGUST 3, 2023: Former US President Donald Trump appeared in federal court Thursday to be arraigned on four criminal charges related to his alleged efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss.Trump was processed by law enforcement and arraigned by Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, D.C. He pleaded not guilty to the charges as expected and was released pending trial on minimal conditions, according to multiple reports.Upadhyaya reportedly gave prosecutors one week to file a brief in the case explaining when they would like the trial to take place. Trump's team was ordered to offer their own timeline a week later.Special Counsel Jack Smith has said his office will seek to ensure the trial is speedy, but Trump's attorneys have indicated that they will propose a more drawn-out timeline. The next hearing will take place on Aug. 28, at which point the judge will set a trial date.Security had been heightened around the courthouse and nearby on Capitol Hill, where hundreds of Trump's supporters rioted on Jan. 6, 2021, occupying the federal legislature for the first time since the War of 1812.The former president was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in the Justice Department's long-running investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.He has maintained his innocence, and his lawyers are expected to argue that his comments were protected speech under the First Amendment to the Constitution and that he legitimately believed his claims of election fraud.(Footage by Kyle Mazza /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)