LIVE UPDATES As Donald Trump Appears In Courtroom As A Criminal Defendant 

 It is around 6am in Washington DC, where today we expect to see the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, in court.

The former president is accused of conspiring to defraud the United States government, conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiring against rights, and obstruction and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding. Here is what we know and what we are expecting:

• Trump’s third appearance in a courtroom as a criminal defendant is expected at 4pm Eastern time (9pm BST).

• Prosecutors in Washington will outline the four conspiracy and obstruction counts and a judge will set bail conditions.

• The magistrate judge, Moxila Upadhyaya, will set a schedule for pre-trial motions and discovery.

• Both sides are likely later to file motions seeking to shape what evidence and legal arguments will be permitted at trial, which could be many months away.

• In a possible preview of Trump’s defence, his lawyer John Lauro called the indictment “an attack on free speech and political advocacy”, implying Trump’s lies about election fraud were protected under the constitutional right to freedom of expression.