Donald Trump Says he Will Surrender to Fulton County Authorities on Thursday – Ex-President Donald Trump has announced his intention to turn himself in to Georgia authorities on Thursday, where he will confront charges related to allegedly plotting to unlawfully reverse his defeat in the 2020 election.
“Can you believe it? I’ll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED,” Trump wrote on his social media network on Monday night, hours after court papers said his bond was set at $200,000. The Fulton county sheriff’s office said in a news release on Monday afternoon that when Trump surrenders there will be a “hard lockdown” of the area surrounding the main county jail.
As indicated in a court filing shared on the internet on Monday, the bail figures for the 13 charges against the ex-president varied. They ranged from $10,000 for offenses such as criminal conspiracy and submitting fraudulent documents, to $80,000 for a breach of the Georgia Rico Act, which is commonly applied in cases involving organized crime.
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Terms included a prohibition of “act to intimidate any person known to be a codefendant or witness in this case”, including in “posts on social media.” Authorities in Georgia are investigating threats made to grand jurors. The bond document also said Trump “shall not communicate in any way, directly or indirectly, about the facts of this case with any person known to him to be a codefendant in this case except through his or her counsel.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has established a Friday noon deadline for both Trump and his 18 co-defendants to present themselves for booking. The prosecutor suggests that arraignments for the accused will occur during the week of September 5th. She aims to conduct a joint trial for the defendants and hopes to bring the case to court in March of the following year, coinciding with the intense period of presidential nominations.
In Fulton County, when defendants are not in custody, their legal representatives and the district attorney’s office often collaborate to establish a bond amount prior to the arraignment, and the judge grants approval. Generally, the defendants are processed at the Fulton County jail during the booking phase. This process typically involves taking photographs, fingerprints, and providing certain personal details.
As Trump’s bail has been predetermined, he will be released after the booking process concludes. John Eastman, a legal professor who advised Trump in his endeavor to contest his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, had a $100,000 bond set. Among the defendants is Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and Republican presidential aspirant. The deadline for defendants to surrender is 12 pm ET on Friday.
The document regarding Trump’s bond was signed by Scott McAfee, a superior court judge, three lawyers representing Trump, and Willis, who recently secured indictments against Trump and 18 associates. Willis has suggested that arraignments commence in the week of September 5th, leading up to a trial in March. Trump refutes any wrongdoing in Georgia and in the other three indictments, which have resulted in a total of 91 criminal charges.
The charges encompass federal and state election manipulation in 2020, the unlawful possession of classified information post-presidency, and payments to conceal information involving a porn star during the 2016 election. Despite facing such unparalleled legal risks – in addition to ongoing investigations into Trump’s business dealings and a defamation lawsuit where a judge ruled Trump was guilty of rape – the former president maintains a strong lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
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In anticipation of the upcoming Wednesday debate, which Trump has chosen not to attend, he holds a commanding lead over his closest competitor, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, with a nearly 40-point margin in national polls and substantial advantages in key states. On Monday, some observers questioned whether Trump, known for his social media attacks on adversaries (which he continued that same day, targeting Georgia governor Brian Kemp), would comply with the conditions of his bond.