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In August 2023, former United States president Donald Trump surrendered to Fulton County police in Georgia.
Grand juries charged the former president with election-related crimes. Such an indictment never happened with his predecessors.
With the circumstances surrounding Trump’s surrender, you may be curious whether he is or will be in jail.
What are the details behind his arrest? How long did he stay in Fulton County Jail when he brought himself in?
This article tackles these questions and discusses the details of Trump’s indictments. This article also explores the developments in the Georgia case involving Trump and whether his arrest will affect his electability or any future campaign to be reelected into office.
To search for famous people or loved ones in American prisons, visit LookUpInmate.org and use the site’s online inmate search tool. You can also read other articles on this website for more information on topics related to crime and incarceration.
Why Was Donald Trump Arrested? What to Know About His Indictments
Former President Trump’s surrender and booking at Fulton County Jail in August 2023 was for state charges regarding conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
However, he was also indicted for several other crimes, including paying hush money and storing classified documents in his estate. The following sections explore the details of these cases.
Trump’s Arrest: Mugshot, Voluntary Surrender, and Upcoming Developments in the Georgia Election Case
An August 2023 report mentioned that Trump faced charges for four criminal cases and had his mugshot taken for the first time.
Trump Charged With 13 Counts in Georgia
Trump faced 13 counts that included conspiracy charges, racketeering, and convincing a public official to break their oath of office.
According to these charges, Trump falsely claimed victory after the 2020 presidential election and tried to overturn the voting results in Georgia and other states.
The report mentioned that Trump made several phone calls pressuring Georgia election officials, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, to help with the former president’s efforts.
Trump’s campaign filed meritless lawsuits to nullify the results and convince Georgia legislators to replace Joe Biden’s legitimate votes with GOP electors.
Trump’s Plane Takes Off From Atlanta After Securing Reservations
On August 24, 2023, Trump’s plane arrived at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
After booking quickly in the Fulton County Jail and speaking briefly to reporters on the tarmac, Trump boarded his plane and departed from the Atlanta airport to New Jersey.
Trump Travels to Atlanta in the Company of Nauta, a Codefendant in the Documents Case, and Other Aides
Trump arrived in Atlanta with his aides, including Walt Nauta, the former president’s valet. Nauta was a codefendant in the federal criminal case charging Trump with retaining classified documents after leaving the White House.
Trump’s Mugshot Is Released to the Public
Authorities released Trump’s mugshot after his booking at the Fulton County Jail. The photo was the first publicized mugshot of a former U.S. president.
Although Trump was booked for three other criminal cases earlier in 2023, he did not have a mugshot taken then.
Trump Asserts That His Codefendants Should Be Freed From What He Calls a Terrible Situation
After his booking in a county jail in August 2023, Trump said in an interview that he sympathized with his codefendants in the Georgia elections case.
He also said these people, who did not even know why they were brought in, were unfairly dragged into this case, and he demanded their release.
Some notable codefendants were Sidney Powell, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Trump’s campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro, and Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
Former White House Chief of Staff and Department of Justice Official Turn Themselves In
One of Trump’s codefendants, Mark Meadows, surrendered on charges brought by Georgia prosecutors against him.
Meadows was charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and soliciting a public official to break their oath. Meadows denied both violations but accepted a $100,000 bond deal with prosecutors.
The RICO Act targets organized criminal activity and racketeering (committing crimes through coercion or extortion), improves existing criminal punishments, and creates new causes of action for organized criminal enterprise activities.
Observers at the Jail Mistake Keisha Lance Bottoms for Fani Willis, the Atlanta D.A.
During a CNN interview with former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in Fulton County Jail, spectators mistook her for Fani Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) dated August 25, 2023, Bottoms mentioned that the crowd yelled “Lock her up!” at her after getting mistaken for Willis.
Courthouse Faces a Bomb Threat Where Trump’s Trial Is Scheduled to Be Held
An August 24, 2023, report mentioned that the Atlanta courthouse where Trump would stand trial received a bomb threat.
Police and K-9 units from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, which dealt with Trump’s booking at a county jail, arrived at the Fulton County Courthouse to respond to the threat.
Jail Records Indicate Trump’s Weight Is Nearly 30 Pounds Lighter Than His Last White House Physical Report
When Trump was booked at Fulton County Jail, records listed his weight at 215 pounds (lbs). This weight was significantly lower than the number in his final White House physical report.
In a memo dated June 2020, then-White House physician Sean Conley mentioned Trump’s previous weight was 244lbs.
Trump Employs a Bail Bondsman to Secure His $200,000 Release Bond
Another August 24, 2023, report confirmed that Trump used a bail bondsman to post a $200,000 release bond. The former president paid $20,000 to Charles Shaw of Foster Bail Bonds to post the bond.
A bail bondsman provides bail bonds for individuals charged with crimes but with insufficient money to post the entire bail.
Trump’s Codefendant, John Eastman, Faces a Disbarment Hearing in California
John Eastman, an attorney and Trump’s codefendant, appeared at a disbarment hearing in California on August 24, 2023. This trial occurred while the former president was traveling to Atlanta for the criminal case booking.
Eastman was the focus of a disbarment action for his false statements regarding purported election fraud, including one during a “stop the steal” rally on January 6, 2021, outside the White House.
Raffensperger Has Been Issued a Subpoena for a Significant Hearing
An August 25, 2023, report mentioned that the Fulton County district attorney’s office subpoenaed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Frances Watson to testify. Watson served as the state secretary’s chief investigator during the 2020 election.
The subpoena indicated that Fulton County prosecutors planned to make Trump’s January 2021 phone call the subject of a court hearing regarding Meadows’ efforts to throw out the district attorney’s charges.
Federal 2020 Election, January 6 Capitol Attack Case
A federal court grand jury indicted Trump in August 2023 for allegedly attempting to steal the 2020 presidential election from President Joe Biden. Biden is a member of the Democratic Party.
The indictment against Trump ranged from attempting to place fake electors in pivotal swing states to pressuring former Vice President Mike Pence to reject the election results in Congress.
Federal Mar-a-Lago Classified Documents Case
In June 2023, Trump was indicted on 37 felony counts for the alleged storage of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after his White House term.
His charges included conspiracy to obstruct justice and willful retention of national defense information, violating the Espionage Act.
The Espionage Act of 1917 forbids obtaining information, copying descriptions, or recording pictures of any national defense information that can be used to injure the United States or give an advantage to another nation.
Trump was arrested, but he pleaded not guilty in a Florida courtroom. A special counsel, Jack Smith, was appointed to oversee the investigation into the classified documents.
New York Hush Money Case
In March 2023, Trump was accused of attempting to hide hush money payments made to two women who claimed they had sex with Trump before the 2016 presidential election.
According to the case, Trump made his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pay Karen McDougal $150,000 and Stormy Daniels $130,000 to silence the women over those claims.
What Are the Charges There?
Trump’s organization allegedly paid Cohen reimbursements for the hush money disguised as legal fees.
Prosecutors accused Trump of 34 violations against a law prohibiting falsification of business records to conceal another crime. This felony is punishable by a $5,000 fine and up to four years in state prison.
These charges were related to 11 checks reportedly issued to Trump’s former lawyer in 2017, along with related invoices and account entries.
What Happens Next in That Case?
As of October 2023, Trump is still free on bail. However, his next trial for the falsification case is scheduled for March 24, 2024.
Defense motions were due by the end of August 2023, but their rulings would not be due until early 2024.
Is There a Statute of Limitations on Trump’s Alleged N.Y. Crimes?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the time limit under New York’s statute of limitations for these crimes was extended.
Furthermore, the clock would stop when the defendant stayed away from New York for an extended period. Legal analysts said this policy would apply to Trump for his four years in the White House.
Trump’s Time in Fulton County Jail Was Brief, While Others Die Waiting
When Trump turned himself in to law enforcement authorities in Georgia in August 2023, the total time he spent in Fulton County Jail was only 20 minutes.
Despite the jail being in poor condition, the former president had a different experience than those who spent weeks, months, or years in that unsafe jail while awaiting trial.
The following sections discuss Trump’s stay in Fulton County Jail and the pressing issues surrounding this jail’s conditions.
Details of Trump’s Booking on the Fulton County Jail Website
The Fulton County Jail website has an inmate search feature you can use to check Trump’s booking details. The information shows the defendant’s name, booking date, release date, charges, and arresting agency.
Although Trump’s surrender and booking in August 2023 appeared to be a quick affair, as mentioned earlier, the controversial event had plenty of details that would be a subject of conversation for many people.
What Might Trump’s Booking Look Like?
The typical procedure when defendants arrive at Fulton County Jail is that they must go through a security checkpoint before formally booking in the lobby. Afterward, they go into a large, open room with stations for mugshots, fingerprinting, and medical evaluations.
This room usually has numerous defendants, jail staff, and guards at any given time. However, this scene is unlikely, given Trump’s security requirements.
Although Sheriff Patrick Labat of Fulton County once mentioned that Trump would get the same treatment as other defendants, the former president, who had round-the-clock Secret Service protection, might receive accommodations for security purposes.
Kid Gloves
Trump traveled to and from Fulton County Jail in August 2023 with a sizable police escort, with his visit lasting only a few minutes.
Within that period, Trump was fingerprinted, got his mugshot taken, and was given an identification number. Such special arrangements were due to heightened security concerns.
Some defense lawyers who worked in Fulton County for years resented the contrast in experiences between Trump and the average inmate. One attorney said the former president was treated with “kid gloves,” an expression referring to the careful treatment Trump received in the facility.
What Is Trump Saying About the Jail?
In a fundraising email Trump sent after his August 2023 booking, Trump described Fulton County Jail’s condition as “poor and disgraceful.”
He also said the place was “violent” and a “humanitarian crisis.” The former president said guards collected shanks (makeshift knives) created from the jail’s crumbling walls.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Arrives at Fulton County Jail Ahead of Trump’s Surrender
Before Trump’s booking at Fulton County Jail for criminal charges, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, an outspoken Trump supporter on Capitol Hill, arrived at Fulton County Jail.
The Georgia Republican said she went there to support the former president during his surrender.
Fulton County Jail Intends to Maintain Heightened Security Measures
Trump’s surrender, and that of other defendants in the attempted overturning of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, led authorities to increase security around Fulton County Jail.
Officials did not indicate the details of the security measures to be implemented once the former president arrived. However, they said they would set up a hard lockdown in the area for his appearance.
Trump Expresses Confidence, Claiming He’s Not Concerned About Potential Incarceration in Criminal Cases
Former President Donald Trump expressed no worries over the possibility that he could end up being imprisoned due to his criminal case.
In an interview, he said, “I don’t even think about it,” when asked whether he worried about imprisonment at night, despite being indicted four times in 2023.
When asked to comment about a phone call he made on January 2, 2021, in which he urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger to provide more votes to reverse Trump’s defeat in the state, Trump replied that he had no regrets.
Trump Asserts His Innocence, Stating, “I Did Nothing Wrong,” As He Departs Atlanta
Trump maintained his innocence despite getting arrested and booked in Georgia for criminal charges, claiming he was an election interference victim.
Before leaving Atlanta onboard his private jet, he asserted that he did nothing wrong and criticized the case as a “travesty of justice.”
Trump also claimed the 91 criminal counts in four active cases filed against him were part of a conspiracy to undermine his presidential candidacy.
As of November 2023, Trump is among several Republican presidential candidates in the 2024 elections.
Where Is the Jail, and Will People Be Able to See Trump?
Fulton County Jail is located along Rice Street in Atlanta, Georgia.
The jail is a few miles from the downtown area on the city’s west side and across a massive park in a location with residential development and warehouses.
Because of the “hard lockdown” implemented around the jail when Trump surrendered, people were unlikely to get close to seeing the former president.
The Fulton Jail Is Being Investigated
Potential civil rights violations in Fulton County Jail compelled the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the facility. As of August 2023, seven people have died in the jail’s custody since the start of that year.
Fulton County Sheriff Labat said he would cooperate with the federal investigation, saying it would support his calls for a new jail.
Rapidly Eroding Conditions
Human rights reports showed that Fulton County Jail’s inmates were experiencing unhygienic living conditions, leading to outbreaks of lice, scabies, and COVID-19. The report also found inmates being significantly malnourished and dealing with cachexia.
Cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome involving muscle mass loss that may or may not include fat mass loss.
For some inmates, waiting in these dilapidated conditions was deadly, with some individuals dying while in custody.
An Escalating Issue
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged that the jail was dilapidated and rapidly eroding and asked for the construction of a new facility worth $1.7 billion.
However, building conditions were only part of the issues at Fulton County Jail. As of October 2023, other significant challenges the county jail system must address were as follows:
- Overcrowding due to people arrested and taken into custody for misdemeanors
- Backlog of cases because of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Several indictments under the RICO Act not associated with the Trump case
Why Was Trump Hit With Records Charges When Others Weren’t?
Regarding Trump’s classified documents case discussed earlier, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recovered the files from Trump, President Biden and Vice President Pence disclosed that they also had classified papers in their possession.
According to legal observers, Trump’s case differed from Biden and Pence’s because the latter two coordinated with federal officials to return the documents. Meanwhile, Trump was accused of obstructing the government’s efforts to recover the files.
What Does the New York Ruling Against Trump’s Fraud Mean?
In a March 2023 report, a New York state judge ruled that Trump and his company deceived business partners by valuing Trump’s assets far above these properties’ actual worth.
A civil lawsuit accused Trump and his top real estate executives, including his two eldest sons, of fraudulently inflating his net worth on official financial filings. The lawsuit alleged that the scheme would help Trump obtain insurance policies and loans with better terms.
Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron imposed a sanction revoking the certificates needed to operate several of Trump’s New York businesses. An appeals court judge later suspended these sanctions. As of October 2023, the trial for other claims related to this case was still ongoing.
How Much Is Donald Trump Worth?
According to a Forbes tally conducted in September 2023, Donald Trump’s estimated net worth was $2.6 billion. The following list provides a breakdown of this value:
- Golf clubs and resorts: $870 million
- New York City (NYC) real estate: $690 million
- Cash and personal assets: $640 million
- Non-NYC real estate: $190 million
- Social media and brand business: $160 million
Would Being Arrested Affect Trump’s Ability to Serve as President?
As mentioned earlier, Donald Trump is among several candidates running for president in the 2024 elections.
Despite his candidacy, if Trump gets convicted and sent to prison, he can still serve as president to some degree. The U.S. Constitution only requires the president to be at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and a U.S. resident for at least 14 years.
Some states have exceptions on who can run for president. For example, Colorado, Florida, and Illinois have provisions banning dual candidacy or running for more than one office at a time. This ban includes running for federal offices.
Criminal charges against Trump can potentially affect his campaign. If he goes to prison, winning the 2024 election does not automatically shorten his sentence.
Should the president become incarcerated, it is unclear how they will perform their duties. In this case, they can temporarily hand over their tasks to the vice president. Another possibility is that the vice president and other executive branch officials can vote to take the duties from the president.
Is the Biden Administration Prosecuting the President’s Top Political Opponent?
While the Biden Administration is responsible for the Justice Department, the government is not involved in the decision to file charges against the former president. Instead, a special counsel independent from the White House works on the investigations and prosecutions.
For example, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, a Biden appointee, picked Jack Smith as a special counsel. However, federal regulations prevent Garland from influencing Smith’s decision to prosecute.
What About the Cases Smith Is Pursuing?
A 45-page indictment, released on August 1, 2023, mentioned that a Washington grand jury accused Trump of working with at least six unnamed conspirators to try to keep the presidency after losing to Biden.
The indictment accused the conspirators of the following:
- Knowingly spreading false statements regarding election fraud.
- Urging officials in seven states to overturn election results under pretenses.
- Creating fake elector slates to obstruct Congress’ electoral college vote certification.
- Attempting to convince former Vice President Mike Pence to ratify the fraudulent elector scheme.
If Trump gets convicted, each count carries a potential prison term of 5 to 20 years.
What Happens Next in the Federal Cases of Trump?
Some key issues discussed in court were when to schedule the trials and how much Trump could talk about those trials in the meantime.
For the federal documents case, Trump requested to postpone the hearing until after the 2024 elections. If he wins, he can pardon himself or force the Department of Justice, headquartered in Washington, D.C., to dismiss the case.
However, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon refused his request. Instead, the court scheduled the trial date for May 20, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Florida.
While the case is ongoing, other issues likely to affect American matters in 2023 onward are the continuing war in Ukraine and the situation in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Should Trump win the 2024 presidential election, he will likely need to pay close attention to developments in these regions aside from focusing on his case.
References
- Fulton County Georgia Inmate Records
http://justice.fultoncountyga.gov/PAJailManager/default.aspx - Espionage Act of 1917 (1917)
https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/espionage-act-of-1917-1917/ - Kid gloves
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/kid-gloves - Cachexia
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470208/ - RICO
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/rico - Donald Trump has been booked at the Atlanta jail on Georgia election charges
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/21/1195080489/donald-trump-georgia-booking - bail bondsman
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/bail_bondsman - Article II Executive Branch
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/