Trump and several co-defendants expected to negotiate bond terms with Fulton County DA’s office Monday

CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 8/21/2023, 1:14 p.m.
Former President Donald Trump and several co-defendants in the sweeping Georgia racketeering case are expected to work out the terms …
The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on August 8, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Thayer/The Maui News/AP

Originally Published: 21 AUG 23 12:53 ET

By Zachary Cohen, Jason Morris, Katelyn Polantz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump and several co-defendants in the sweeping Georgia racketeering case are expected to work out the terms of their bond Monday with the Fulton County district attorney’s office, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Trump’s legal team has been in contact with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office, and conversations are expected to continue this week about the logistics of his surrender at the jail and arraignment in court, sources tell CNN.

One of the sources indicated that Trump’s lawyers Todd Blanche, Jennifer Little and Drew Findling will be doing the negotiating and likely visiting the DA’s office in Georgia on Monday. Little and Findling are both based in the state, while Blanche has taken the helm as Trump’s primary defense attorney across his multiple criminal indictments.

In a typical case in Fulton County when police make an arrest, the arrestee is booked into jail and must appear before a magistrate judge within 72 hours. That most likely won’t be the case for the defendants in this racketeering case. Because they have already been indicted and are expected to negotiate the terms of release and bond before surrendering at the jail, they most likely won’t have an initial court appearance, attorneys told CNN.

Law enforcement presence remains at an elevated level at the Fulton County court complex. Dozens of law enforcement vehicles are parked, lining the two block radius around the court as well as the government center where the 19 defendants are expected to negotiate the terms of release and bond with the district attorney’s office.

Law enforcement officers from the Fulton County Sheriff’s office have been taking the lead in security outside the buildings, but members from other agencies and departments – like the US Marshals Service, who are responsible for courthouse security, as well as Atlanta police – also have been seen patrolling the area and staged outside of public entrances.

According to a news release from the Sheriff’s office on Monday, the barricades around the Fulton County courthouse will remain in place until Saturday. The deadline for the defendants to turn themselves is Friday at 12 pm ET.