Trump indictment updates: Trump speaks out on charges from Mar-a-Lago

Prosecutors alleged during Tuesday's hearing that one of former President Donald Trump's attorneys, Joe Tacopina, has a conflict of interest in the case because of prior communications with Stormy Daniels.

Tacopina pushed back on that aggressively, telling Judge Juan Merchan that he "never met, never spoke" with Daniels, and said that an associate from his office did send Daniels a document and held preliminary conversations with her.

Trump said "yes," when the judge asked him if he understood he had a right to conflict-free counsel.

Judge Merchan did not make any decision on this today.

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin and Laura Romero

Donald Trump's plane left New York Tuesday afternoon to head back to Florida where the former president is expected to address the public from Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg claimed former President Donald Trump "repeatedly made false statements" on New York business records and made others do the same during a press briefing following Tuesday's arraignment.

"These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are," Bragg said. "We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct.

Bragg said the case, "like so many of our white-collar cases," alleges that "someone lied again and again to protect their interests and evade the laws to which we are all held accountable."

Bragg claimed Trump and his associates attempted to withhold negative information about him in a “catch-and-kill scheme” meant to bolster his candidacy for president.

"The evidence will show that Trump lied … to cover up crimes related to the 2016 presidential election," Bragg said.

The payments to Michael Cohen were meant to "hide damaging information from the voting public," he added.

When asked why his office was pursuing the case now, Bragg said there is more evidence in hand than his predecessor had.

Prosecutors asked for a trial date in January 2024.

Donald Trump’s legal team called that timeline “too aggressive” and suggested spring 2024 as an alternative.

Judge Juan Merchan did not weigh in.

Trump's next in-person court appearance is set for Dec. 4. The defense counsel asked the judge to waive Trump’s appearance.

The judge acknowledged that Tuesday's hearing was a “huge undertaking,” but said he would not immediately excuse Trump’s appearance, and said he would deny for the time being the defense counsel’s request “in the interest of transparency.”

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin and Laura Romero