Former President Donald Trump faced a humiliating ordeal on Thursday when he had to pose for a mugshot in Georgia, where he is accused of trying to illegally interfere with the state’s 2020 election results.
Trump, 77, looked angry and unhappy in the photo that was released to the public around 9 p.m.
The former president said he had never heard of the term “mugshot” before and called the experience “terrible” in an interview with Newsmax. He also denounced the charges against him as “a very sad day for our country” and “an absolute horrible thing that they’re doing.”
Trump is the first president in US history to have his mugshot taken as part of a criminal case. He was indicted on Aug. 14 on 13 counts of racketeering, conspiracy, false statements, and asking a public official to violate their oath of office. He allegedly pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other officials to overturn the election results that favored Joe Biden.
The 77-year-old spent 20 minutes at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening, where he was fingerprinted and photographed, as required by state law for felony suspects. He was released on $200,000 bond and agreed to an order that limits what he can say about the case, including on social media, to avoid influencing witnesses and co-defendants.
{{/usCountry}}The 77-year-old spent 20 minutes at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening, where he was fingerprinted and photographed, as required by state law for felony suspects. He was released on $200,000 bond and agreed to an order that limits what he can say about the case, including on social media, to avoid influencing witnesses and co-defendants.
{{/usCountry}}Legal experts said that Trump’s mugshot was not a sign of vindictiveness or targeting by the prosecutors, but rather a normal procedure in Georgia. They also said that Trump and his 18 co-defendants, who include former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, were treated better than most defendants by being allowed to arrange their bond in advance, show up for booking at a convenient time, and wear their own clothes.
“This is very unusual,” said a former Fulton County prosecutor and veteran lawyer, Darryl Cohen.
“It’s treating them quite well, much better than most people go through. This is as nice and professional as the DA’s office could be.”
William Head, a long-time criminal defense attorney in the county, said, “In 47 years of doing criminal work, I have had many famous and rich clients, and every one of them had their mugshot taken.”
The 45th U.S. President did not have to have his mugshot taken in three other criminal cases that he faces in New York and Washington DC.
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Michael Bachner, a former Manhattan prosecutor, said that in New York, mugshots are done at the discretion of the NYPD and are not necessary for someone like Trump whose face is well-known.
Trump has maintained his innocence in all four cases and has claimed that they are politically motivated attacks on him. He is also facing several civil lawsuits and investigations related to his business dealings, taxes, and sexual misconduct allegations.