Georgia election case: Trump, other 18 defendants surrender to authorities
Former President Trump was processed and released on bail.
Former President Donald Trump and the 18 other defendants charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for their alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia all surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.
Trump and 17 other defendants were processed and released on bail, with one defendant held without bond. Several defendants also mounted legal challenges to the DA's case.
Top headlines:
DA Fani Willis requests trial date beginning Oct. 23
District Attorney Fani Willis requested a trial start date of Oct. 23, 2023, for all 19 defendants, according to a filing in response to Kenneth Chesebro's demand for a speedy trial.
"The State of Georgia, through Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, and respectfully requests that this Court specially set the trial in this case to commence for all 19 defendants on October 23, 2023," the motion said.
Former Ye publicist and Trump supporter Trevian Kutti gets $75K bond
Trevian Kutti, a publicist who previously represented controversial musicians R. Kelly and Ye, has been given a $75,000 bond, according to her bond agreement signed by Judge Scott McAfee.
Kutti’s bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
Prosecutors allege that Kutti traveled from Chicago to Atlanta and attempted to contact Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker, in order to convince her to report election fraud claims in testimony.
Mark Meadows' bond set at $100K
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set bond for former chief of staff Mark Meadows at $100,000.
His bail conditions include not communicating with witnesses and co-defendants, reporting to pretrial services by phone every month and not obstructing justice by intimidating witnesses.
The bond also included a line to ensure he surrenders at Fulton County Jail by Friday at noon.
"The Defendant shall turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, August 25, 2023. If the Defendant does not turn himself into the Fulton County Jail by this date and time, this consent bond order shall be null and void," the consent order said.
Meadows had sought to delay surrendering as he tried to get his case moved to federal court, but that was rejected Wednesday.
DA subpoenas Brad Raffensperger for Meadows hearing next week
Ahead of the hearing scheduled next week over Mark Meadows' effort to move the Fulton County RICO case to federal court, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has now issued multiple subpoenas for witnesses to appear, according to court filings in the case.
A federal judge last week ordered an "evidentiary hearing" on Meadows' motion to remove the case to federal court. Now, four witnesses are subpoenaed to appear.
Willis filed subpoenas on Thursday that had been issued for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and investigator Francis Watson -- both of whom Trump called in the wake of the 2020 election as part of his alleged effort to overturn the results.
Earlier this week, Willis also filed subpoenas for Kurt Hilbert and Alex Kaufman -- both of whom were on the Trump-Raffensperger call, according to a transcript of the call.
The subpoenas instruct the witnesses to appear in court for the Meadows hearing on Monday, according to copies of the subpoenas included in the court filings.
That hearing is set for Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. in Atlanta.