Although a considerable hype has been built up around former President Donald Trump surrendering in Fulton County Jail, Georgia on Thursday, in reality, it will be a short trip for him.
At around 4 pm EDT, Trump’s motorcade left his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey Thursday, en route to Newark Liberty International Airport, ahead of flying to Georgia. Although Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had given all 19 co-defendants in the 2020 election interference indictment time till Friday to voluntarily surrender themselves, Trump chose to do it on Thursday.
The The timing of his surrender was pre-negotiated between Trump’s team and law enforcement to ensure that the former president has to spend as little time possible in Atlanta.
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As part of his release conditions, Trump has agreed to a $200,000 bond among other terms that were agreed upon when his lawyers met with the Fulton County district attorney’s office on Monday. Trump has also been barred from communicating with any of his 18 co-defendants in the case, as well as any witnesses and the 30 unindicted co-conspirators using any forms of contact including social media. He is also not allowed to threat or target any of them.
Trump has announced that he will be surrendering at 7:30 EDT. After Trump arrives at the Fulton County Jail, it is wholly a possibility that Trump could have his mugshot taken and be fingerprinted as part of the booking process as Willis has previously promised that the former president will be treated as a normal citizen who has been accused of crime. People close to the former president indicated they believed the topic of mugshot was still an ongoing discussion and had not yet been settled.
Post getting booked in jail, Trump will return to New Jersey so it is anticipated to be a short trip. There are no expected events at his club upon his return.
Once the process of surrendering is said and done, there is a possibility that Trump and his alleged co-conspirators won’t have to show up at court for their arraignments. As per Judge Scott McAfee’s discretion, the co-defendants could be arraigned virtually or the arraignments can be waived altogether.
