Troubled Georgia jail set to make history as first to take Trump's mug shot
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Former President Trump speaking at the Georgia GOP convention on June 10 in Columbus, Ga. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Fulton County jail in Georgia could make history in the weeks ahead as the first institution to ever take a U.S. president's mug shot.
Driving the news: The local sheriff's office says it expects to book all 19 of those indicted this week on election-related charges — including former President Trump — at the notorious detention center, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The big picture: Trump has thus far avoided having his mug shot taken in his three other cases.
- He now faces a historic four indictments and 91 criminal charges — while also running for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
- The newest indictment, which relies on state-level racketeering charges, said Trump and 18 other defendants "knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump."
Why it matters: Trump and other powerful figures included in the indictment now face the prospect of being processed at a rough and overcrowded jail in Atlanta.
- Those figures include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani — who as a federal prosecutor went after mobsters under the same type of racketeering law.
Context: The Fulton County jail, known among locals as "Rice Street," has been plagued with reports of dangerous conditions and detainee deaths.
- In July, the U.S. Justice Department announced an investigation into conditions at the jail following the death of Lashawn Thompson, who was found covered in bugs and filth.
- "It's miserable. It's cold. It smells. It's just generally unpleasant," longtime defense attorney Robert G. Rubin said of the jail, per the New York Times.
- Officers are being prosecuted for using excessive force at the jail as well, the DOJ said.
Between the lines: Trump's Georgia trial is also the first one that could be televised, as Georgia law requires cameras be allowed during judicial proceedings with a judge's approval.
- A judge would have to be presented with a compelling reason to bar cameras.
Reality check: An official mug shot could also be a boon to Trump's reelection campaign.
- After his first arrest in April, his campaign fundraised with fake mug shot merch.
What's next: District Attorney Fani Willis proposed a Mar. 4 start date for the Georgia trial, meaning it would start one day before Super Tuesday, when many U.S. states hold primary elections.
- The arraignment should take place the week of Sept. 5, Willis said in the court filing.
