Former President Donald Trump is expected to surrender himself to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, on Aug. 24. He will be released on bond after submitting himself to the intake procedure, including possibly having his picture taken for a mug shot—which would be the first ever taken of a former Commander in Chief.
President Trump has until noon on Aug. 25 to have himself booked to avoid arrest after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged him and 18 associates with dozens of crimes, including a racketeering conspiracy based on his efforts to reverse the official results of the 2020 election.
The Aug. 14 indictment argues that a strategy devised by several lawyers advising President Trump to arrange alternative slates of electors in several states and thus delay the counting of the electoral votes amounted to a criminal enterprise.
The Atlanta jailhouse is known for its rough conditions, though President Trump is unlikely to spend much time inside.
A number of the defendants already surrendered themselves, including Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer to President Trump and mayor of New York City; attorneys John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, and Ray Smith III; alternate electors Cathleen Latham and David Shafer; and Georgia bail bondsman Scott Hall. All have been released on bond.
Ms. Willis is proposing a trial date of March 4, a breakneck schedule for a case of this size, some lawyers have opined. The date falls about a week before the Georgia GOP primary and just one day before the “Super Tuesday” slew of primaries in 16 states.
Meanwhile, several defendants have asked judges to have the case removed to federal court on the grounds that they acted “under color” of federal office and as such shouldn’t be tried by a state court. If at least one of the requests succeeds, the entire case would move to a federal court.
A successful request for removal usually translates into dismissal of the charges for the particular defendant because the justification for a removal could also be used to argue federal immunity—federal officials can’t be charged for things they’ve done as part of their duties, a career defense attorney previously explained to The Epoch Times. After such a dismissal, the federal judge may decide to return the rest of the case back to the state court.
Removal has been already requested by defendants Mark Meadows, former congressman and chief-of-staff to President Trump, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, and former Georgia Republican Party Chair David Shafer.
Much of the same conduct targeted by Ms. Willis is also subject to federal charges filed against President Trump by special counsel Jack Smith in Washington, D.C., with the trial date as early as January.
In addition, President Trump is facing a March 2024 trial date for state charges brought against him in New York for allegedly false bookkeeping entries and another trial set for May for a federal case litigated in Florida by Mr. Smith that involves the former president’s retention of national defense documents from his time in office.
President Trump has denounced all the charges as politically motivated and meant to interfere with his run for office.
