Former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants in the Georgia 2020 election probe are expected to be booked at the Fulton County Jail, the sheriff’s office said Tuesday.
The booking and arraignment processes in criminal cases operate separately in Fulton County, the sheriff’s office noted in a statement. Some arraignments may be virtual, as dictated by the presiding judge.
“At this point, based on guidance received from the District Attorney’s office and presiding judge, it is expected that all 19 defendants named in the indictment will be booked at the Rice Street Jail,” Fulton County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Natalie Ammons said in a statement.
Trump and his top allies, including his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and a top former Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, were indicted Monday on felony charges in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.
The sweeping 41-count indictment also names lawyers John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis and Ray Smith, as well as several others. All were charged with violating Georgia’s RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law.
Trump was charged with felony racketeering and numerous counts of conspiracy. He has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing,
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said at a news conference Monday night that arrest warrants have been issued for all of the defendants and that each has until Aug. 25 to surrender voluntarily. She said she intends to try all 19 defendants together and is aiming to go to trial in the next six months.
The sheriff’s office said Tuesday: “Keep in mind, defendants can turn themselves in at any time. The jail is open 24/7. Also, due to the unprecedented nature of this case, some circumstances may change with little or no warning.”
It is the fourth time Trump, the front-runner in the polls for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has been indicted on criminal charges since March, following Willis’ sprawling two-year investigation into whether he and his allies “coordinated attempts to unlawfully alter the outcome of the 2020 elections.”
Trump has accused Willis of “election interference” by proceeding with the probe while he is running for president.
