The Fulton County Sheriff claimed that Donald Trump will be treated like local inmates during the booking process, with no special accommodations accorded to the former U.S. president.
“If you’re indicted, then we’re going to treat you as though you’re indicted here locally, and so we’ll consider you to do fingerprints, mugshots, etc.” said Sheriff Patrick Labatt to CNN.
Charles Rambo, a retired lieutenant of the sheriff’s office, said to the media outlet that once inside “they would be pat down, led to the booking office in the rear. From there, they probably have to have ties and shoe strings and all those types of things taken. Then, from there the persons would be fingerprinted, given a booking photo.”
President Trump along with the other defendants are expected to be photographed for mugshots. It is unclear whether Trump or any of the high-profile co-defendants would go through all steps typically taken by a prisoner at the facility.
“I don’t expect Trump to spend hours in this jail because the longer he is, it’s a pain. It’s going to be a hassle for the entire sheriff’s department or at least those who are at the jail when the president’s there. It’s going to be a circus,” said Chris Timmons, former Georgia prosecutor to CNN. “The ‘Rice Street’ jail is not a pleasant place. It’s dirty, it’s scary.”
In July, the Department of Justice (DoJ) launched a civil rights investigation into the Fulton County jail.
Charges Against Trump and Co-defendants
President Trump and 18 other individuals were indicted Aug. 14 by a grand jury in Georgia for alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The Georgia indictment charged President Trump with 13 counts, including violation of the state’s RICO act, conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, filing false documents, and solicitation of violation of oath by a public office among others.
If convicted and slapped with a maximum sentence on all 13 counts, President Trump will be looking at up to 76.5 years in prison.
The co-defendants, who must voluntarily surrender by Aug. 25 at noon, according to Ms. Willis, are listed as follows: President Trump's former attorney Rudy Giuliani, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows—who, aside from President Trump, is the highest-ranking White House official to be charged in the indictment—former Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Clark, GOP strategist Michael Roman, and attorneys John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, Ray Smith III, Robert Cheeley, Jenna Ellis, and Sidney Powell.
Georgia Republican Shawn Still, alternative elector Cathleen Latham, former head of the Georgia Republican Party David Shafer, Illinois pastor Stephen Lee, vice president for the Black Conservative Federation who is also involved in "Black Voices for Trump" Harrison Floyd, former publicist for Kanye West Trevian Kutti, Scott Hall, and Misty Hampton are also named in the indictment.
An ‘Unsafe, Unsanitary’ Jail
The DoJ opened an investigation into the conditions at the Fulton County Jail on July 13, 2023.
This was following the death of an inmate who died “covered in insects and filth,” said the department. Moreover, there are “credible allegations” 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.”
“People in prisons and jails are entitled to basic protections of their civil rights,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We launched this investigation into the Fulton County Jail based on serious allegations of 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.
“The recent allegations of filthy housing teeming with insects, rampant violence resulting in death and injuries, and officers using excessive force are cause for grave concern and warrant a thorough investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “This investigation is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that citizens are safe, and their constitutional rights protected, even while they are in custody.”
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The justice department’s investigation followed the 2022 death of an inmate who was allegedly “eaten alive” by insects in the jail.
Arrested for misdemeanor simple battery, LaShawn Thompson, 35, was placed in the psychiatric wing after being declared mentally unfit.
On Sept. 19, Mr. Thompson was found unresponsive in his jail cell, and pronounced dead soon after.
"Mr. Thompson was found dead in a filthy jail cell after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs," his family's Atlanta-based lawyer, Michael D. Harper said in April to USA Today. "We're asking for a criminal investigation into the matter and (major) changes at the jail."
Two of the co-defendants—lawyer John Eastman and bail bondsman Scott Hall—surrendered at the Fulton County jail on Tuesday.
They were given an inmate identification number and released after spending roughly an hour at the premises.
President Trump, after agreeing to a $200,000 bond, is expected to surrender at the Fulton County jail Thursday.
