Trump is set to surrender in a Georgia prison on charges of seeking to overturn the 2020 election

Atlanta (AFP) – Donald Trump He is scheduled to turn himself in Thursday to the authorities in Georgia on charges he planned Cancel the 2020 election in that stateThe seizure is expected to yield a historical precedent: a portrait of a former US president.

Trump’s arrival comes after a presidential debate He includes his main rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination, a contest in which he remains the leading candidate despite accelerating legal troubles. His presence in the state, though likely brief, is expected to at least temporarily draw the spotlight from his opponents in the aftermath of a debate in which other candidates sought to take advantage of Trump’s absence to boost their presidential chances.

The Fulton County lawsuit is the fourth criminal case against Trump since March. When he became the first former president in US history to be indicted. Since then, he has faced federal charges fl And Washington And this month, he was charged in Atlanta with 18 others – including his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and the former mayor of New York. Rudy Giuliani Under the racketeering law commonly associated with gang members and organized crime.

The criminal cases spurred a series of seizures and recalls, with Trump appearing in court briefly before returning to the campaign trail. He turned appearances into campaign events amid a much lighter schedule than his rivals, with staff delighted in the extensive media coverage that included news helicopters tracking his every move.

The campaign has also used the appearances to solicit fundraising contributions from his supporters, with his aides portraying the charges as part of a politically motivated effort to damage his re-election chances.

His Atlanta appearance will be different from the others, requiring him to surrender in a problematic prison – but without a court appearance for the time being. Unlike other cities that have not required him to take a selfie, Fulton County officials said they expect to take a booking photo as they would any other defendant.

“Unless someone tells me differently, we follow our normal practices, so no matter your condition, we’ll have a picture ready for you,” Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labatt said at a news conference earlier this month.

District Attorney Fannie Willis has given all of the defendants until Friday afternoon to surrender at the main Fulton County Jail.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. He said in a social media post this week that he was on trial for what he described in capital letters as a “perfect phone call” in which he asked Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to help him “find” enough votes for him. He has to overturn his loss in the state to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump is expected to turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail, which has long been a troubled facility. Ministry of Justice last month Open a civil rights investigation In circumstances citing filthy cells, violence and the death of a man whose body was found covered in insects last year in the prison’s main psychiatric ward. Three people have died in the Fulton County custody in the past month.

But he is not expected to spend much time there.

His lawyers and prosecutors have already agreed to $200,000 bail, along with conditions that include banning the former president from intimidating other defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media.

When defendants arrive at the prison, they usually pass through a security checkpoint before checking in for official custody in the lobby. During the seizure process, defendants are usually photographed, fingerprinted, and asked to provide certain personal information. Since Trump’s bail has already been set, he will be released from custody once the custody process is complete.

Unlike other jurisdictions, in Fulton County, summonses—where the defendant appears in court for the first time—generally occur after the defendant surrenders in jail and completes the custody process, rather than on the same day. That means Trump may have to take two trips to Georgia in the coming weeks, though the Fulton County sheriff’s office said some charges in the case may actually proceed if the judge allows it, or he may waive the charge against Trump.

And when he does finally appear in court, the public is also likely to see more of the action firsthand. Georgia courts usually allow photos and videos of the trial, unlike in federal court and in New York, where access to the press is tightly controlled.

Only in Manhattan were paparazzi allowed to briefly take pictures of Trump as he sat on the witness stand. Federal courts generally prohibit photography, recordings, and electronics of any kind.