Trump Will Surrender At Georgia Jail This Week — Here’s What To Expect As He May Get First Mug Shot

Topline

Former President Donald Trump will surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, by Friday afternoon at the latest—and likely get his first mug shot—as he faces his fourth indictment on charges stemming from his and allies’ efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election.

Key Facts

When will Trump surrender? Trump and the other co-defendants in the case are required to surrender to authorities by noon on Friday, August 25, with CNN reporting Trump is likely to do so on Thursday or Friday.

Where will it take place? Trump will be booked at the Fulton County jail on Rice Street, which is known for having particularly poor conditions, with the Justice Department launching a civil rights investigation into the facility in July.

What will happen once he turns himself in? The terms of Trump’s surrender are reportedly still being negotiated; typically defendants who get booked at the jail are searched, undergo a medical screening, get fingerprinted and a mug shot, though CNN notes it’s still unclear if Trump and other high-profile defendants in the case would have to undergo the same process.

Will he get a mug shot? The Fulton County sheriff has suggested Trump will get a mug shot as other defendants at the prison do, saying he would follow “normal practices” unless told otherwise, though the Guardian reports Trump’s mug shot—both whether one will be taken and if it will get released—are still being negotiated, with Trump’s legal team reportedly opposing him being photographed.

Will he appear in court? People booked in Fulton County typically have to appear before a magistrate judge within 72 hours, but attorneys told CNN it’s likely Trump and his co-defendants won’t have initial court appearances at all—because they’ve already been indicted and will mostly likely have negotiated their bond ahead of time—and defendants could then appear virtually for their arraignments or have them waived altogether, making it uncertain when Trump will actually appear in a courtroom in the case.

Will he be held in custody? Trump is not expected to be held in custody, though Georgia law states judges can release defendants on bail as long as they aren’t a flight risk, aren’t a threat to the community, don’t pose a risk of committing a felony before trial, and “[pose] no significant risk of intimidating witnesses or otherwise obstructing the administration of justice”—the last of which could be more of an issue for Trump, given messages he’s sent targeting people involved with the investigation.

When will the case go to trial? That’s still unclear—though Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has suggested the trial should start on March 4, 2024, legal experts believe it’s unlikely the complex 19-defendant case would go to trial that soon.

Big Number

13. That’s the number of state charges against Trump in Fulton County, including for racketeering (known as RICO charges), solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, false statements and writings, conspiracy to commit false statements and writings, filing false documents and conspiracy to commit filing false documents. Each felony charge carries a potential prison sentence if convicted—ranging from one to 20 years, depending on the count—and most could also or instead be punishable by a fine.

Surprising Fact

If Trump’s convicted, it will be difficult for him to receive a pardon—at least anytime soon. Georgia state law does not allow governors to pardon convicted felons, but rather entrusts that power to an independent board. It’s also not possible to apply for a pardon until at least five years after a person’s sentence has been completed.

Tangent

Trump is expected to try and move the case to federal court—as his former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has already requested—arguing his actions after the election were part of his official duties as president. Federal officials can remove state cases to federal court for anything “for or relating to any act under color of such office.” If the charges were to get moved to federal court, it could make it more likely the case against Trump could be dropped, because it would bolster Trump’s argument that he has presidential “immunity.” Legal experts are widely skeptical the gambit will work, however, and if Trump is tried in federal court but still convicted, he still wouldn’t be able to get a federal pardon.

Key Background

Trump was indicted in Georgia last week along with 18 other co-defendants as part of Willis’ wide-ranging investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election, which first started in February 2021. Other defendants charged in the case include Meadows and attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis and Jeffrey Clark. The indictment accuses the defendants of constituting a criminal enterprise conspiring to unlawfully subvert the election results, including through a “fake elector” scheme sending false slates of electors to Congress, allegedly breaching election equipment and pressuring state legislators and state officials to reject the results, such as Trump’s call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he encouraged the secretary to “find” enough votes to overturn President Joe Biden’s win. The Fulton County charges mark Trump’s fourth indictment following charges in Manhattan and by the Justice Department in two investigations, putting the former president in legal peril as he faces the possibility of hundreds of years in prison sentences and millions of dollars in fines if convicted.

Further Reading

Trump Indicted In Georgia: Here Are The Crimes He’s Been Charged With—And The Prison Sentences They Carry (Forbes)

What Makes Trump’s Georgia Indictment Different: Televised Trial, Mugshot—And The Difficulty Of A Pardon (Forbes)

Trump expected to surrender to Fulton County jail on Thursday or Friday next week (CNN)

How surrenders work at the troubled Fulton County jail – and why Trump’s will be different (CNN)

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/08/21/trump-will-surrender-at-georgia-jail-this-week—heres-what-to-expect-as-he-may-get-first-mug-shot/