Trump formally booked at Fulton county jail over Georgia election interference case
President Trump has become first former US president to have mugshot taken after surrendering at Georgia jail.
Fulton county authorities took mugshot of Trump – report
- Former President Donald Trump has been arrested at the Fulton County Jail on felony charges in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.
- In a first for his four indictments this year, Trump had his mug shot taken, a source familiar with the proceedings said. He was released about 20 minutes after his motorcade arrived.
- Trump used a local bail bondsman to post his bond. He has already paid, a bonding agent confirmed.
- The Fulton County Jail, where Trump was booked, has a history of violence and poor conditions.
- District Attorney Fani Willis oversaw the sweeping investigation and the racketeering charges.
- Many of Trump’s 18 co-defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, have already surrendered.
- A federal judge yesterday denied requests by two defendants — Meadows and Jeffrey Clark — to delay their arrests. All defendants face a deadline of noon tomorrow to voluntarily surrender.
Trump’s motorcade arrives at airport
Trump’s motorcade has arrived at the airport after he was booked at the Fulton County Jail.
Bomb threat at Fulton County Courthouse
The Fulton County Sheriff’s office responded to a bomb threat at the Fulton County Courthouse, the sheriff tells NBC News. K-9 units and police are en route.
This is not the location where Trump went, however. He was at the Fulton County Jail, not the courthouse.
Sheriff confirms Trump had mug shot taken
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat tonight confirmed to NBC News that a mug shot was taken of Trump inside the jail.
The photo has not been released yet.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posts fake mug shot in support of Trump
A Trump ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted an altered image made to look as though she had taken a Fulton County Jail mug shot. She reiterated that she stands with Trump.
Amy Kremer, an organizer of the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, posted a similar fake mugshot yesterday.
Trump was booked much faster than most at this jail
Trump’s 20 minutes inside the Fulton County Jail is extremely unusual for people who are arrested here.
Even in the election interference case, it’s unusual. Timing has ranged from under an hour for Giuliani to about 90 minutes for lawyer John Eastman. The process for a former president, however, was expected to be expedited.
Here’s what to expect now that Trump has surrendered
Now that he has been released from custody, Trump will need to be arraigned later. Booking and arraignment in criminal cases operate separately in Fulton County. The sheriff’s office noted last week that some arraignments may be virtual, as dictated by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.
In the meantime, Trump has been barred from doing anything a judge might view as an effort to intimidate co-defendants and witnesses or otherwise obstruct the administration of justice in the case.
The parties will put forward proposals for a trial date. Willis initially proposed a March 4 trial date, preceded by arraignments the week of Sept. 5. She moved that timeline up to Oct. 23 in a filing today. Trump has said he intends to file a motion to sever his case from those of any co-defendants demanding a speedy trial.
Republicans quickly blast Trump’s fourth arrest
Republican members of Congress warned that the criminal justice system will be used to target candidates of both parties going forward following Trump’s surrender tonight.
“Those who decided to start using indictments, prosecutors & even mug shots as weapons in a political campaign have unleashed a destructive new era in American politics,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote in a post to X.
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the House Republican Conference Chair, said Biden “continues to illegally weaponize the government” against Trump, “his top political opponent for the White House.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who has endorsed Trump in 2024, posted on X that Willis’ actions “have set a very dangerous precedent in our nation.”
“Americans can see right through this sham indictment,” she said.
Trump’s motorcade has left the Fulton County Jail. It had arrived at around 7:34 p.m. ET and left just over 20 minutes later.
Trump had his mug shot taken
The Fulton County Sheriff’s
Office took a mug shot of Trump when he was booked, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Fulton County Jail has a history of violence and poor conditions
The Fulton County Jail, where Trump is being booked tonight, has a long history of poor living conditions and violence.
The jail, which is near downtown Atlanta, has housed roughly 3,200 people over the last year. Sheriff Pat Labat has been outspoken about overcrowding at the largest jail in the Southeast.
In the last few weeks alone, several inmates have died, including a 40-year-old man who was found unresponsive in his cell and another man, 66, who was also found unresponsive in a medical unit cell.
Last month, the Justice Department announced it had opened a civil investigation into the conditions at the jail after officials said they had heard “credible allegations that an incarcerated person died covered in insects and filth, that the Fulton County Jail is structurally unsafe, that prevalent violence has resulted in serious injuries and homicides, and that officers are being prosecuted for using excessive force.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that there were “unsafe, unsanitary living conditions at the jail, excessive force and violence within the jail, discrimination against incarcerated individuals with mental health issues, and failure to provide adequate medical care to incarcerated individuals.”
