'Tis the season to look back on a truly unprecedented year in America's courts, when the sight of a former president sitting before a judge went from unheard of to almost commonplace, and his ongoing campaign fused courtroom appearances into stump stops.

As lawyers pointed out in a filing Saturday night, "During the 234 years from 1789 to 2023, no current or former President had ever been criminally prosecuted." That streak ended on March 30, when a New York grand jury indicted Trump, making him the first former president to be charged with crimes.

He was soon indicted in three more cases, appearing for arraignments in two (and waiving his appearance once). Then Trump attended nine days of a civil fraud trial, testifying twice. His first couple of days in court drew crowds of demonstrators, both supporting and opposing the former president. Courthouses were nearly shut down as regular business gave way to prioritizing one heavily guarded defendant.

The 12 Days of Trump Court Appearances

By his final day of attending court in 2023, the scene had changed dramatically. Trump sat among a smattering of onlookers in a nearly empty room, as the courthouse around it hummed with the daily legal dramas of everyday New Yorkers, finalizing divorces, battling landlords and litigating slip-and-falls.

These were the 12 days of Trump court appearances:

April 4: On the first day of Trump court, the former president was whisked into a Manhattan criminal courthouse fortified by a massive security apparatus. Those in the packed courtroom — many of whom had waited overnight for the chance to see the proceedings — watched as Trump became the first former or sitting president to come before a judge and utter the words "not guilty." He denied all allegations after being charged with 34 felony counts of falsification of business records in connection with an alleged "hush money" payment before the 2016 election.

June 13: On the second day

Aug. 3: On the third day of Trump court, different city, same setup. This time, as Trump waited in the Washington, D.C., courtroom, he sat before an unusual audience. Several federal judges sat in the back row of the gallery, watching as Trump entered not guilty pleas to four felony counts related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.

Oct. 2: On the fourth day of Trump court, Trump watched opening statements in a civil fraud trial that itself was unprecedented — pitting Trump, a former president accused of fraud, against New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking sanctions that would severely hamper Trump's business in the state and $250 million she says he and his company gained from a scheme tied to distortions of his wealth.

Just days before the trial began, the judge presiding over the case ruled that the defendants were responsible for fraud. This ruling caused a furious reaction from Trump on social media, which set the stage for a two-month long battle between Trump and Judge Arthur Engoron. The trial focused on allegations of falsifying business records, conspiracy, and insurance fraud. Trump and his sons, along with their company, were accused by James of committing fraud for over a decade by exaggerating Trump's wealth. The defendants denied these allegations, placing blame on their accountants and accusing James of pursuing the case for political reasons.

Oct. 3: On the fifth day of the trial, Trump found himself in hot water. He posted a derogatory comment about one of Engoron's law clerks on social media, angering the judge. As a result, Trump was issued a gag order preventing him from discussing court personnel.

Oct. 4: On the sixth day of the trial, Trump abruptly left in the middle of the afternoon. James later told the press, "the Donald Trump Show is over." However, the drama was far from finished.

Oct. 17: On the seventh day of the court proceedings involving Trump, the former president had planned to confront his long-time lawyer and "fixer" Michael Cohen, who is a key witness in Trump's criminal and civil cases in New York. However, Cohen was unable to attend due to illness. Instead, Trump was faced with hours of testimony focused on mundane details of evidence, such as brief emails and notes in a spreadsheet, which New York Attorney General Letitia James claims were the foundation of widespread fraud.

Oct. 18: On the eighth day of the court proceedings, Trump's frustration with the case, the judge, and the witnesses became evident. Inside the courtroom, Trump expressed his discontent by shaking his head, throwing his hands in the air, and complaining to his attorneys. Outside the courtroom, Trump criticized the case to the media while expressing admiration for his defense attorneys, comparing the situation to the TV show "Perry Mason."

Oct. 25: On the ninth day of the court proceedings, Trump and Cohen finally faced each other. Cohen testified that Trump instructed him to manipulate financial statements in order to achieve predetermined valuations. Trump reacted by shaking his head and crossing his arms. Prosecutors and defense attorneys from Trump's New York criminal case were present to witness Cohen's often confrontational testimony. During cross-examination, Cohen repeatedly responded with "asked and answered," a phrase typically used by lawyers to object to repetitive questioning. Trump's attorney, Christopher Kise, objected to Cohen's responses, stating, "This witness is out of control, your honor."

Trump Court Drama Continues

Oct. 26: On the 10th day of the ongoing court proceedings involving former President Donald Trump, his former lawyer Michael Cohen remained on the stand. However, the judge also called Trump himself to testify briefly. During a heated exchange in the hallway, Trump made a comment about "a person who is very partisan sitting alongside" Judge Engoron. The judge's clerk, who Trump was prohibited from mentioning, typically sits next to the judge. Engoron questioned Trump under oath about the comment and was not convinced when Trump claimed he was referring to Cohen. As a result, Trump was fined an additional $10,000, on top of the $5,000 fine he had previously received for an unrelated offense.

Nov. 6: On the 11th day of the Trump court proceedings, Trump took the stand. Throughout his testimony, Trump frequently veered off-topic and criticized the legal forces that had brought him to court. Despite receiving reprimands from the judge for straying from the questions, Trump stood by his valuations of assets that other co-defendants had distanced themselves from. He made only one more appearance in the trial, over a month later.

Dec. 7: On the 12th day of Trump court

The courtroom on the 12th day of Trump's court proceedings was mostly empty, with more seats left unfilled than occupied. People came and went casually, while Trump himself sat attentively. The final expert witness for Trump's defense team clashed with the state's lawyers, describing their case as "absurd." A professor of accounting from New York University, Eli Bartov, supported Trump's testimony by stating that the financial statements in question explicitly warned banks to use them at their own risk. Originally, Trump was expected to testify again, but he changed his mind after hearing Bartov's expert opinion. Bartov praised Trump's financial statements, calling them "transparent" and "awesome" in their scope. However, Judge Engoron did not share the same sentiment. In a later filing, the judge wrote, "all that his testimony proves is that for a million or so dollars, some experts will say whatever you want them."

This was Trump's final court appearance in 2023, but it seems that 2024 will bring many more as he faces four criminal cases.

Closing arguments for the civil fraud trial are scheduled for Jan. 11, 2024. Trump's criminal trial in Washington, D.C. related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election will begin on March 4. His New York criminal trial in the "hush money" case is scheduled for March 25. Additionally, his Florida criminal trial regarding the handling of national security documents is set for May 20. Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, where he is accused of racketeering in connection with his efforts to undermine the 2020 election, have requested an Aug. 5 start date. It should be noted that the trial dates in all these cases are subject to change, as Trump's legal team has indicated that he believes they should be postponed until after the 2024 election. They have also appealed various pretrial decisions in an effort to support this stance.

Trump vehemently denies all allegations in these cases and has pleaded not guilty to 91 felony charges.