The Fulton County sheriff said 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.
