What's next for former President Donald Trump, co-defendants in Fulton County after indictment
Georgia election indictments: How did we get here?
A Fulton County grand jury has returned indictments in the 2020 election probe Monday evening. This investigation has been a lengthy one, with the events leading to the investigation starting just days after the 2020 election. Here's a timeline of what led to the decision to hand up the indictments.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants have been given a deadline of Aug. 25 to turn themselves in after a massive indictment for election interference was handed up in Fulton County late Monday night.
Others listed in the 97-page indictment include Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeffrey Clark, Jenna Lynn Ellis, Ray Stallings Smith III, Robert Cheeley, Michael Roman, David Shafer, Shawn Micah Tresher Still, Stephen Cliffgard Lee, Harrison William Prescott Floyd, Trevian C. Kutti, Sidney Powell, Cathy Latham, Scott Graham Hall, and Misty Hampton (Emily Misty Hayes).
WHO ARE THE 19 PEOPLE INDICTED IN FULTON COUNTY'S ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE?
All face multiple counts, but share a single count among them: Violation of the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act.
TRUMP, ALLIES RICO CHARGES IN GEORGIA EXPLAINED
VOLUNTARY SURRENDER OR ARREST
Now that Trump and his co-defendants have been indicted, they have the choice to voluntarily surrender or be arrested. They have been asked to surrender voluntarily by noon Aug. 25.
SHERIFF: 18 INDICTED ALONGSIDE TRUMP TO BE BOOKED AT FULTON COUNTY JAIL
PROCESSING
Trump and his co-defendants will be processed after they have surrendered or been arrested. This means they will be photographed and fingerprinted at the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street.
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat previously said that if Trump is charged, he will be treated like any other arrestee in Fulton County. He confirmed this statement on Tuesday.
DES MOINES, IOWA - OCTOBER 09: Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on October 09, 2021 in Des Moines, Iowa. This is Trumps first rally in Iowa since the 2020 election. (Photo by Scott Olson/
FIRST APPEARANCE
A public court hearing will be held during which the defendants will enter a plea to the initial charges. The judge will also make decisions on bond and/or release conditions and may schedule dates for future proceedings. Although District Attorney Fani Willis has said that she plans to hold one trial for all defendants, each person will need to appear individually in front of a judge.
The first appearances will most likely be virtual. However, first appearances can also be waived in Georgia.
PRELIMINARY HEARING
The purpose of a preliminary hearing is to determine whether there is probable cause to believe the defendant committed the crime that is alleged. It's almost like a mini-trial and the prosecution will call witnesses and introduce evidence. The defense can also cross-examine witnesses. There are three possible outcomes of a preliminary hearing -- decision to go to trial, reduction of charges, and dismissal of all charges.
PRETRIAL HEARINGS
Lawyers for the defendants are expected to file multiple pretrial motions, such as requests to toss out charges or exclude specific evidence. This could be a very lengthy process since lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants are expected to file multiple motions and appeals of motions that are denied by the judge. With the election cycle coming up, Trump's team is expected to try and delay a trial as long as possible.
JURY SELECTION AND TRIAL
A judge will set a date for the trial at the end of the pretrial hearings. Once a date has been set, jury selection will begin. Fulton County DA Fani Willis wants the trial to happen within 6 months.
Although it will possibly take weeks or months to select a jury due to the complexity of the case, it is not expected at this time to take as long as jury selection for rapper Young Thug and his co-defendents. Jury selection for that trial began in January and not a single juror has been selected.
Once the jury is selected, the trial will begin. Typical RICO trials can take several days to a few weeks. The trial for Young Thug is expected to take at least 9 months and could last for up to a year, according to experts. At this time, the trial for Trump and his co-defendants is not expected to take as long.
SENTENCING
If any of the defendants, including Trump, are found guilty of the RICO charge, they could go to prison for 5 to 20 years and face a fine of $25,000 or three times the amount of money gained from the criminal activity, whichever is greater.
GEORGIA ELECTION PROBE TIMELINE: FROM NOVEMBER 2020 TO NOW
STATUS OF OTHER CASES
The former president is facing multiple charges in several other cases.
He was indicted in April in New York for allegedly falsifying business records about an alleged affair. He pleaded not guilty and is facing a trial in March.
Also in New York, Trump is facing a defamation trial in January for calling the woman, E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of rap a "whack job."
In June, Trump was indicted for allegedly hiding classified information at his home and then lying about it. He is facing trial for those charges in May.
Trump has also been federally indicted for plotting to overturn the 2020 election and the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. A trial date has not been set for those charges.