Saturday, 26 August 2023

Donald Trump hands himself in at Fulton County Jail over Georgia election indictment.

Extract from ABC News

ABC News Homepage


Donald Trump lands in Atlanta to present himself at Fulton County Jail.

Donald Trump has handed himself in to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, for processing over his fourth indictment.

The former US president flew to the southern city from his New Jersey golf club to be arrested over an alleged conspiracy to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.

"I have to start getting ready to head down to Atlanta, Georgia," he told his social media followers earlier today, "to get ARRESTED by a Radical Left, Lowlife District Attorney, Fani Willis, for a PERFECT PHONE CALL, and having the audacity to challenge a RIGGED AND STOLLEN (sic) ELECTION."

Officials in Atlanta cleared roads for Mr Trump's journey from the airport to the jail. 

After making the short drive in a motorcade followed by news helicopters, he arrived at about 7:30pm local time (9:30am AEST). 

A black car carrying Donald Trump drives behind several others, through a gate with a sign that says INTAKE UNIT
Donald Trump entered the jail through an entrance away from the crowds.  (Reuters: Brendan McDermid)

A form lodged in the Fulton County Jail records listed the charges against Mr Trump, identifying him as a 6'3" (1.92-metre) white male with blond or strawberry hair and blue eyes.

Before his arrest, Mr Trump's lawyers had negotiated the conditions of his immediate release from the Fulton County Jail, including bail of $US200,000 ($312,000).

After the short booking process, during which he had his mugshot taken, Mr Trump left the jail.

Donald Trump frowns in a mugshot, wearing a suit and red tie
The former president posed for a mugshot — his first despite three previous indictments.(Fulton County Jail via Reuters)

It was a first for the former president, who was not photographed for any of his previous arraignments. 

His motorcade returned to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where he gave a short statement to reporters gathered on the tarmac, repeating the sentiment that his indictment was a "sad day for America" as well as false claims of a stolen election.

Donald Trump insisted he "did nothing wrong" by challenging the 2020 election results.

Mr Trump is among 19 people charged over an alleged criminal racket designed to overturn Joe Biden's crucial win in the state.

They were charged by a grand jury on Monday last week, and ordered to "voluntarily surrender" to Fulton County Jail by midday on Friday, local time.

Many of Mr Trump's co-defendants, including prominent lawyer Rudy Giuliani, turned themselves in earlier in the week. His former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, surrendered earlier on Friday.

Rudy Giuliani, wearing a red tie and USA pin on his lapel, frowns as reporters shove microphones towards him
Rudy Giuliani was booked on Wednesday. (AP: Brynn Anderson)

All were released shortly after they were fingerprinted and their mugshots were taken.

Mr Trump's arrest promises to steal some of the focus away from the previous evening's Republican party primary debate, which he did not participate in.

Instead, he gave an interview that was posted on social media as the debate began, in which he described the charges he faces as "bullshit".

'No country should ever have a mugshot of a president'

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the jail ahead of Mr Trump's arrival, many braving sweltering heat for hours.

The former president's fans appeared to easily outnumber those who attended to celebrate his arrest.

A man in prison outfit and a man in red and white yell and protest
Anti and pro-Trump supporters clash in Georgia. (ABC News: Brad Ryan)

Georgia woman Keisha Kennings showed up in a 'blacks for Trump' T-shirt to show her support and "let the world know that there are minorities that support Trump".

Florida man Forgiato Blow, who makes pro-Trump rap music under the moniker Trump's Nephew, also wore a supportive T-shirt displaying a fake mugshot.

"No country should ever have a mugshot of a president or a former president," he said.

"But they're going to take it to the highest level they can to humiliate Donald Trump."

A close-up on two people's Tshirts shows one with Donald Trump's face and the word INNOCENT
Forgiato Blow wore a T-shirt with a fake mugshot to show his support for Donald Trump.(AP: Ben Gray)

Friends Marsha and Cathy, who live locally and declined to give their surnames, said they were angered by what they saw as Mr Trump's political persecution.

"I'm here really for freedom," Cathy said.

"This is America. We don't put our political opponents in jail."

A small but vocal crowd of anti-Trump protesters also made themselves heard, with tensions simmering between the opposing groups outside.

A man wearing a T-shirt with the mugshots of Donald Trump's alleged co-conspirators and a poster with a drawing of him in prison
There was a small but vocal crowd of anti-Trump protesters outside the jail.  (Reuters: Dustin Chambers)

Trial date to come

This is the fourth criminal indictment for Mr Trump. He also faces separate, federal charges relating to election interference, as well as charges of falsifying business records and mishandling classified documents.

Those cases are being prosecuted in courts in Washington DC, New York and Miami respectively.

Classified documents

A stack of cardboard boxes sit on the floor of a bathroom between a toilet and a shower.
Donald Trump faces 40 criminal charges related to alleged mishandling of sensitive documents which were found during an FBI raid of his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

January 6 and 2020 election

People scale a wall at Capitol Hill in Washington DC
Donald Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the US, obstructing an official proceeding, and conspiracy against voter rights over alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. 

Georgia election

Donald Trump frowns in a mugshot, wearing a suit and red tie
The former US president has been indicted over alleged attempts to meddle with the 2020 election results in the US state of Georgia. 

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Mr Trump and his co-accused in the Georgia case are expected to appear at Atlanta's Fulton County Court for arraignment hearings in the second week of September.

However, it is possible they will avoid having to travel to the city a second time and will instead appear via video link.

The judge has allowed a news camera into the court to film those proceedings.

A trial date had been proposed for March next year. The prosecutor has since requested a judge set a trial date of October 23, after one of Mr Trump's co-defendants, Kenneth Chesebro, applied for a fast-tracked trial.

Mr Trump's legal team has opposed the earlier date, and asked for Mr Chesebro's case to be separated from Mr Trump's.

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