In March 2023, claims began to spread on Twitter that former U.S. President Donald Trump’s potential indictment would have to remain under seal until he is arraigned. The indictment would be related to hush-money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election, which the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DA) began investigating in 2018.
There has been much speculation on the platform about whether Trump had already received a sealed indictment, as well as what the timeline would be for revealing it to the public. As of this writing, Trump has not been arrested, as the grand jury weighing charges against him continues to deliberate.
According to Fareed Nassor Hayat, an associate professor at City University New York (CUNY) School of Law, an indictment is a formal written notice framed by a prosecuting authority and found by a grand jury charging a person with an offense. An arraignment is a formal call before a court to answer an indictment, where a statement of charges is given.
The indictment would most likely remain sealed, according to news reports, but Trump and his lawyers would not have to be the ones to announce he had been indicted.
According to CNBC, the indictment would be filed under seal, but a judge could unseal it before Trump was arraigned. In addition, Forbes reported Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg could unseal the indictment.
If Trump is indicted, the DA’s office and Trump’s legal counsel would discuss his legal surrender. A warrant could also be issued for his arrest if he didn’t willingly surrender.