Former US President Donald Trump is likely to appear in court for the fourth time on Thursday. This time because of attempts at electoral fraud in the state of Georgia. However, the arraignment is different this time than usual.
Trump can now dream of the course of events during an arraignment. The previous three times it always came down to the same thing: report to the court, give a fingerprint, hear charges and be released again. But this time it will be different.
That is because Trump – just like in the hush money case in New York – is now not being charged at the federal level, but at the state level. That means that he will not be prosecuted by special prosecutor Jack Smith, but by Fani Willis, prosecutor in Georgia’s capital Atlanta.
There are also eighteen co-defendants. As a result, Trump is not the only focus, although the 77-year-old former president is the “grand prize” of the investigation, according to America expert Diederik Brink.
Mugshot, bail and cameras
The arraignment is more like “a classic trial without frills,” says Brink. In the previous three cases, the prosecution took into account the sensitivity of the case, especially since Trump constantly claims that he is the victim of a political witch hunt. There were no cameras and no mugshot (picture of a suspect) was taken, lest to add more fuel to the Trump-fuelled fire.
“Here (in Georgia, ed.) It is said: everyone is equal before the law, former president or not,” says Brink. That principle of equality also becomes visible during the arraignment. Trump will just have to get a mug shot and post bail.
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In the previous cases, a mug shot and bail were waived because Trump is a globally recognizable figure. As a result, the flight risk is limited. But no exceptions are made in Georgia. Prosecutor Willis thus opts for a different approach than her colleagues in New York, Washington and Florida.
There may be cameras present in the courtroom this time – also unlike in the other cases. That is allowed in Georgia, provided they do not disrupt the process, wrote CBS News last week. “You could say there’s a public interest in seeing what happens here because a Republican presidential candidate is on trial.”
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Not behind bars, but Trump is playing with fire
Nevertheless, the arraignment is still slightly different from other suspects, Brink expects. Trump will not have to appear before the public and media prior to his case. Such a so-called perp walk – from the English word perpetrator (perpetrator) – is simply impossible given Trump’s heavy security.
Brink also does not expect Trump to be behind bars. He points to the deposit of approximately 185,000 euros that the former president has agreed with the prosecutor. After paying that sum, Trump can await trial in freedom.
But there is another danger lurking. “Both here and in other court cases there are conditions to his bail,” says Brink. “He does all kinds of things that judges don’t like. Tirades at the prosecutor or potential judges, for example.” If a judge rules that Trump has gone too far, he could be arrested and jailed. “A judge cannot treat him differently from others. He is playing with fire.”
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Trump is going to dominate front pages anyway
In any case, one thing is certain: for Trump, the arraignment is nothing more than the fourth appearance in the criminal tour. And the fact that there are cameras and a mug shot this time will only make it easier to steal the show.
Wednesday night was the debate between Republican candidates for the election. Normally such a debate is discussed endlessly, but on Thursday it will probably only be about the only Republican candidate who did not attend the debate.
“Nobody is talking about all those others tomorrow, everyone is talking about Donald Trump,” says Brink. “In the debate, during the debate and certainly after the debate, it is only about one person, and that is Donald Trump.”
2023-08-24 03:30:00
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