Donald Trump has arrived at Fulton County jail in Atlanta to surrender and be booked on more than a dozen charges stemming from his efforts to reverse Georgia’s 2020 election results, the fourth time this year the former president has faced criminal charges.
How the process is expected to unfold: Like most of his 18 co-defendants in the sprawling racketeering case who have already surrendered at the jail, Trump’s processing through the facility will likely be completed quickly because the former president and his lawyers have already negotiated his consent bond agreement.
Trump agreed to a $200,000 bond and other release conditions, including not using social media to target the co-defendants and witnesses in the case.
According to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, once a defendant enters the jail and is taken into custody, a person is technically “under arrest.” Defendants are not expected to be handcuffed. They are expected to be fingerprinted and have their mug shot taken, according to Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat.
Normally, those taken into custody are thoroughly searched by a jail deputy. In the past, though, some high-profile defendants who have voluntarily surrendered were not subjected to that thorough body search.
Defendants typically undergo a medical screening and receive a pre-trial consultation to determine whether they can sign out on their own recognizance. It’s unclear if that will happen with Trump.
Earlier Thursday morning, members of Trump’s team were unsure whether the former president would have a mug shot taken when he surrenders, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
The sheriff has insisted publicly that Trump will be treated like any other defendant. His co-defendants have all had their mug shots taken.
CNN’s Sara Murray and Ryan Young contributed reporting to this post.