The indictment from Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith charges Trump with four felony counts related to his efforts to undo his presidential election loss, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. The charges could lead to a yearslong prison sentence in the event of a conviction.
The former president was the only person charged in the case, though prosecutors referenced six unnamed co-conspirators, mostly lawyers, they say he plotted with, including in a scheme to enlist fake electors in seven battleground states won by Biden to submit false certificates to the federal government.
Not mentioned in the article: Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya has set Trump’s next court appearance for August 28, 2023, just a few days after the upcoming Republican presidential primary debate. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will preside over this next appearance, and she is expected to set the trial date then. Judge Upadhyaya told Trump and his legal team today that Judge Chutkan is willing to waive Trump’s appearance at the hearing so he doesn’t have to attend.
Thanks for this! So I understand all these “arrest” chapters of the timeline means he has to turn himself in and post bail. My question is how is a person of his status and money, and access to private jets not a flight risk? He has too much business here to not flee the U.S.?
I’d think the moment the writing was on the wall that he had no chance to win the case he’d be on a plane to somewhere. Fortunately he’s too stubborn to think he’ll ever loose.
But unlike us common folk, it’s not like they’d cuff him immediately after the trial. Odds are he’d be given a few weeks/months to put his affairs in order then surrender himself. What’s to stop him from fleeing short of a 3 letter agency keeping intel and actively intervening… if they figure it out in time.
He’s monitored/guarded 24/7, so (as much as I hate to admit this) it’s hard to say he’s a flight risk.
Secret service do not have to stop him if he tries to flee afaik. Also some secret service folks are on his side. From the Jan 6th stuff, some were trying to get pence into a car to drive him away from the Capitol so that he couldn’t certify the vote in time.
Oh, he’s absolutely a flight risk, and the judge today made it 100% clear that his release is contingent on a couple of factors:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/trump-2020-election-indictment-charges/prosecution-defense-agree-to-conditions-of-trumps-release-101998316?id=101943446
He must not violate federal or state laws;
he must appear in court as required;
he must sign an appearance bond;
he must not communicate about the facts of the case with anyone Trump knows to be a witness, except through counsel or in presence of counsel.