Georgia election case: Trump, other 18 defendants surrender to authorities

A judge has denied bond for defendant Harrison Floyd, which means the Black Voices for Trump member will likely stay in the Fulton County Jail through the weekend.

Floyd, who is accused in the DA's indictment of helping strong-arm election worker Ruby Freeman, is the only defendant being held in custody after the other 18 defendants were processed and released on bail this week.

Superior Court Judge Emily Richardson, in a hearing Friday afternoon, denied Floyd's bond due to what she said was his "risk to commit additional felonies and potential risks to flee the jurisdiction."

Floyd was the only defendant who surrendered without a pre-negotiated bond, resulting in the Fulton County Sheriff's office taking him into custody Thursday afternoon.

Floyd was charged in May with simple assault of a federal officer after prosecutors say he struck an FBI agent who was attempting to serve him a subpoena to appear before a grand jury in a separate case.

"I do find that based on an open charge against you, there are grounds for bond to be denied at this point," Judge Richardson told Floyd. She said Judge Scott McAfee would reconsider bond during Floyd's next hearing.

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has released mug shots of the final two defendants to surrender for processing.

Chicago pastor Stephan Lee is alleged in the DA's indictment to have traveled to the home of election worker Ruby Freeman "with intent to influence her testimony" after Freeman was falsely accused of stealing ballots.

Trump staff member Michael Roman allegedly worked to commit acts "in furtherance of the conspiracy," according to the indictment.

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has released mug shots of five of the final seven defendants to turn themselves in for processing.

The mug shots released were of former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, former Coffee County elections director Misty Hampton, Georgia lawyer Robert Cheeley and publicist Trevian Kutti.

Shawn Still, a recently elected Georgia state senator who was one of the so-called "fake electors" accused in the DA's indictment of working to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, has filed a motion seeking to move his case to federal court -- making him the fourth defendant in the case to do so.

Former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer all previously filed their own motions seeking removal to federal court.

Although Still is not a federal official, his motion argues that he "was acting, or was acting under, an officer of the United States" in his role as an alternate elector -- a similar argument to Shafer's motion.

"That is, the role of presidential elector is a federal one -- created and directed by the United States Constitution and Congress. Thus, Mr. Still, acting as a presidential elector, was a federal officer," Still's filing says.

Still's filing also argues that he was following the advice of authorities on the matter, saying, "Mr. Still, as a presidential elector, was also acting at the direction of the incumbent President of the United States. The President's attorneys instructed Mr. Still and the other contingent electors that they had to meet and cast their ballots on December 14, 2020, in order to preserve the presidential election contest."

Still is charged with eight counts in the indictment, including impersonating a public officer and forgery in the first degree.