ATLANTA — Eighteen of the 19 people charged in the 2020 Georgia election conspiracy case have bonded out of jail, including former U.S. President Donald Trump.
We've been getting your questions on why Harrison Floyd, the former director of Black Voices for Trump, is the only co-defendant still at the Fulton County Jail.
We're looking at whether or not having a prearranged bond and an open case in Maryland are the reasons why Floyd has been denied bond. We took those questions to the experts to verify.
"There’s no way I’m a flight risk," Floyd said during his first appearance Friday. "I showed up before the former president did.”
THE SOURCES:
Our sources for this story are:
- The Superior Court of Fulton County
- Tom Church, a trial lawyer with the Church Law Firm
THE QUESTION:
Is Floyd's open federal case a factor in his being denied bond?
According to the federal criminal complaint, Floyd is facing a misdemeanor simple assault charge. He allegedly assaulted an FBI agent who was delivering papers to Floyd's home in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice investigation into whether Trump tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Floyd bonded out on that federal charge, but Fulton County Superior Court Judge Emily Richardson cited it as the main reason she denied bond in the Georgia case.
“Based on the open charge against you, there are grounds for bond to be denied at this point," Richardson said during Floyd's first appearance.
THE ANSWER: We can verify this claim is true, although Church said it needs context.
“I do think it’s inconsistent to cite that he has a pending federal case when the former president, the main defendant in this case, has three pending cases," Church said. "As a criminal defense lawyer, someone who’s concerned about people’s rights and people being treated equally under the law, this did really kind of rub me the wrong way.”
THE QUESTION: Did Floyd's lack of a bond arrangement affect him still being in jail?
“The other defendants in this case clearly had an advantage because they hired lawyers preemptively who reached out to the DA and negotiated bond before they turned themselves in. Mr. Floyd did not do that," Church said.
THE ANSWER: We can verify this is true. Floyd's lack of a bond arrangement did affect him still being in jail.
Floyd has a bond hearing this Thursday morning with Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, according to court records. Floyd has a newly-appointed public defender, who's expected to argue he's not a flight risk.