Donald Trump indictment: How former president’s Georgia arraignment could differ from prior cases
A Georgia grand jury indicts former President Donald Trump
A Georgia grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump on Monday, accusing him and his allies of attempting to subvert the 2020 election. The 41-count indictment, which names 19 defendants and charges Trump with felony racketeering and numerous conspiracy charges, is expected to carry out a case unlike any other of the former president’s legal battles.
Three things the Georgia indictment reveals about former President’s future
- Expect a mugshot
- Cameras in courtroom
- Arrested and booked in jail
In stark contrast to Trump’s first three indictments, the public might see a mugshot of the former commander in chief. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has said it is following normal procedures despite the high-profile case.
“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesn’t matter your status. We’ll have a mugshot ready for you,” Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said earlier this month.
A mugshot was not taken at his arraignment in New York, where Trump is charged with falsifying business records related to hush money payments, or during his federal arraignments in special counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents case and the Jan. 6 case against the former president.
Under Georgia state law, photographs and televising a trial are permitted as long as it does not disrupt the legal proceedings. The Georgia Supreme Court ruled in 2018 in favor of the use of electric devices to provide more transparency, saying, “Open courtrooms are an indispensable element of an effective and respected judicial system.”
Unlike Trump’s other three cases, the public may be able to watch the GOP presidential front-runner’s battle play out in Georgia. Recording will not be allowed during the trial in Manhattan because New York typically prevents state courtrooms from camera usage without special permission. Electronic media coverage is prohibited in federal courts, where Trump’s two other trials will be carried out in Washington, D.C., and Miami.
While the Fulton County sheriff’s officials have not laid out any specific details, they’ve implied Trump will not be receiving any special treatment in his arrest and booking.
The sheriff’s office said on Tuesday that the former president and his 18 co-defendants would be booked at the Fulton County jail, northwest of downtown Atlanta, following their surrender, according to reports. All the named defendants have until Aug. 25 to voluntarily surrender, according to the indictment.
In his first arraignment, Trump was escorted through a Manhattan courthouse, where he was booked and had his fingerprints taken, which must be done in person under New York law. In Florida, Trump’s fingerprints were taken, and he completed the booking process before entering the courtroom. Earlier this month, Trump was released on an appearance bond during his arraignment in Washington, D.C.
If Trump is found guilty of charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act statute in Georgia, he could face five to 20 years in prison and a fine of $25,000 or three times the amount of money gained from the criminal activity, depending on which is the larger sum.
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