Former US president Donald Trump surrenders at Georgia jail in criminal case, mugshot released

Former US president and 2024 White House hopeful Donald Trump surrendered at a jail in the US state of Georgia on Thursday, his every public move recorded by scores of cameras and news helicopters, adding to his record of unprecedented firsts.

His long-awaited surrender on criminal charges at Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail at 7.30pm, apparently timed for prime-time TV ratings, was unparalleled for an American president, as was the US$200,000 bond he posted.

Trump faces 13 counts stemming from his alleged effort to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. The ex-president, who now faces a total of 91 charges across four criminal cases, has denied any wrongdoing and claimed repeatedly that he is the victim of a biased political crusade.

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“This is a very sad day for America,” Trump said on the tarmac after being booked. “We did nothing wrong.”

“The president should never have been indicted,” said Steven Sadow, his lead lawyer, speaking before Trump’s appearance. “He is innocent of all the charges.”

In this latest case, the most wide-ranging and ambitious of the four, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Trump, 77, and 18 other defendants with racketeering, a charge often associated with organised crime prosecutions, along with various other counts. Several of his fellow defendants surrendered on Wednesday ahead of the Friday noon deadline.

Trump had his mugshot taken, another presidential first. The photograph shows Trump, wearing a blue suit and red tie, with a scowl on his face.

Donald Trump before his departure from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Photo: AP

Trump later posted the jailhouse photo on former Twitter, now X, in his first post on the platform since January 2021. The post had the words: “Election interference. Never surrender!” along with a link to his website.

Earlier he posted the photo on his own social media site Truth Social.

In the jail Trump was listed as inmate P01135809 weighing 215lbs (98kg), and his hair colour recorded as “blond or strawberry”. Unlike the other cases, he will not be formally arraigned – an initial hearing when charges are read out and the defendant pleads guilty or not guilty – until next month.

But his bail terms stipulate that he cannot intimidate witnesses or other defendants or “obstruct the administration of justice,” a scathing warning given his past conduct verbally attacking judges and prosecutors.

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Trump is polling well ahead of his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, allowing him to spend less time on the campaign trail as he juggles his legal cases.

On Wednesday, he opted to skip the first Republican debate in favour of a pre-recorded interview, concluding, analysts said, that a poor performance could hurt him politically.

Trump faced relatively easy booking arrangements Thursday, which lasted all of 20 minutes, as in his other criminal cases, allowing him to breeze through formalities. Delay is a key part of his legal strategy, experts have said, amid hopes he is re-elected president, able to pardon himself and stay out of prison.

The three other criminal cases involve a Manhattan “hush money” probe, a special counsel Mar-a-Lago classified documents case and a special counsel January 6 election interference investigation.

The motorcade for Donald Trump arriving at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Bloomberg

But the Georgia case is potentially more problematic since presidents do not have the authority to grant clemency in state cases.

At least two other defendants, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, have tried to have their Georgia cases transferred to federal court. Meadows was booked at the Georgia jail and released on US$100,000 bail earlier on Thursday after his transfer request was denied.

While others booked at the Georgia jail spend months awaiting indictment or trial, Trump did not spend time at the jail, noted for its crumbling infrastructure and overcrowding. In the hours leading up to his arrival, demonstrators at the facility for and against Trump held up signs, milled around and yelled slogans.

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Dramatic evidence in the case is expected, including a recording of Trump telling Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger: “I just want to find 11,780 votes” – the margin he trailed now-US President Joe Biden in the crucial swing state.

While Trump received special accommodation on Thursday, partly because he has an armed Secret Service detail as an ex-president, Georgia has indicated it would largely follow normal procedures in the case. This could include televised proceedings, a medical screening and fingerprinting.

Several of his co-defendants also had their mugshots taken, including his lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis. Giuliana, a former New York City mayor, was released on US$150,000 bail, while Powell and Ellis, posted bail of US$100,000 each.

Police booking mugshots Donald Trump and 11 of the 18 people indicted with him. Photo: Fulton County Sheriff’s Office via Reuters

Trump is the first American president to be impeached twice, face criminal charges and refuse to concede an electoral defeat; the first in 28 years not to win a second term of office; the first in 45 years not to release his income tax returns; and the first in 89 years to lose the White House, House of Representatives and Senate in a single term.

As the criminal cases have piled up, Trump has defied political convention by turning his legal troubles into political gold, at least so far. He has often been quick to announce his indictments to his defiant base of supporters, prompting the viral spread of mock mugshots and political donations to soar.

But so have his legal costs. Election records show that Trump took in more than US$53 million in donations from January 1 to August 1, but burned through at least US$42 million, much of it on lawyer fees.

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An analysis by the Associated Press found that his political committees have spent at least US$59 million for over 100 lawyers and law firms since January 2021, when his supporters stormed the US Capitol.

Signs of stress in his legal ranks have surfaced too. In the Florida documents probe, his then-lead lawyer exited the case weeks before the indictment, and two other lawyers resigned the morning after charges were announced.

And on Tuesday, Trump pushed aside his lead lawyer in favour of Georgia criminal defence lawyer Steven Sadow.