Former President Donald Trump plans to surrender voluntarily at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Thursday. Trump is facing 13 felony counts in Georgia connected to efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election outcome.
Key details: Trump has confirmed he won’t be participating in the first Republican primary debate, focusing instead on legal matters in Fulton County.
* He and 18 other defendants in this wide-ranging criminal case are expected to turn themselves in for booking by noon, Friday.
* Trump’s bond agreement requires that he refrain from intimidating co-defendants or witnesses, including through social media. He is also prohibited from communicating about the case specifics, except through his lawyer.
Conditions at Fulton County Jail: The jail is under scrutiny for potential civil rights violations.
* Seven people have died in custody at this jail since the beginning of the year. Conditions at the jail have been described as “Third World” with issues regarding overcrowding, dilapidated infrastructure, and critical staffing shortages.
* 87% of the current jail population is Black and the vast majority have not been convicted, most are awaiting for bail hearings, competency evaluations, or are denied release due to inability to post bail.
Case proceedings: District Attorney Fani Willis is proposing a March 2024 trial date.
* Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee will finalize the calendar and balance the proceedings with his existing court commitments and the three other criminal cases Trump is facing.
* Factors potentially slowing the case progression include prolonged jury selection and attempts to move the case to federal court.
Federal court wish: Some defendants, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, are pushing to move their cases to federal court.
* If successful, the trial would be presided over by a federal judge, with a jury selected from 10 counties in the Atlanta Division of the U.S. District Court, potentially extending into counties that lean more favorably towards Trump.
* Any convictions would be reviewable only by Georgia’s independent review board, not subject to presidential pardon.
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