ATLANTA — Questions remain about when the 19 defendants in the Georgia election case will appear for booking, now that they’ve been named in a Fulton County indictment.
Typically, those accused report to the Fulton County Jail for processing. But in high profile cases, there have been exceptions made, allowing defendants to pre-negotiate terms of their surrender. 11Alive Investigates reached out to the district attorney’s office to find out if any of the defendants have requested permission to resolve paperwork and bond terms in advance, but didn't get response.
Tuesday evening the Fulton County Sheriff's Office said that based on guidance received from the DA's office and presiding judge, it is expected that all 19 defendants named in the indictment will be booked at the Rice Street Jail.
We know in previous indictments, former president Donald Trump has scheduled his appearance and been processed within hours at the DAs office and courthouse.
We did exchange emails with the attorney for Kenneth Chesebro, one of the people named in the indictment for his alleged role in the fake elector scheme. He said he was trying to coordinate with the DA’s office, but has not yet received a response.
Defendants prefer to work details out in advance because attorneys familiar with the booking process say it can take 12 hours to a day to get through.
“It is indefensibly slow in Fulton County compared to any other county in Georgia,” said attorney Joshua Schiffer.
Unless different arrangements are made, the process typically involves getting fingerprinted, having your photo taken, and filling out forms such as a medical questionnaire and questions related to your ties to the community. Those answers can help determine the condition of your release, or bond, as lawyers prepare for trial.
“It’s the discretion of the prosecution what kind of deals you can make,” said Schiffer. “Pat Labat came out last week and said he’s ready to take everybody because he always is."
Getting the initial appearance before the judge to sort out bond can take another 24-72 hours.
Either way, defendants in the Georgia election indictment case have until August 25, next Friday, at noon to show up – even those living out of state.
“These are felony warrants. These are multi-state extraditable warrants. That’s why she’s giving them all of this opportunity,” said Schiffer.