Trump shakes up legal team before Fulton County arrest

Former President Donald Trump shook up his legal team shortly before his expected surrender Thursday to Fulton County officials in Georgia on charges related to an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state.

Trump replaced his attorney in Georgia, Drew Findling, with Atlanta-based lawyer Steven Sadow just before his scheduled surrender, CNN reported.

At the booking, Trump is expected to become the first former U.S. president to have a mug shot taken, according to The Associated Press. His bail has already been set at $200,000 with the conditions including an agreement that he will not intimidate any of the co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case, including through social media. 

"The president should never have been indicted. He is innocent of all the charges brought against him," Sadow said. "We look forward to the case being dismissed or, if necessary, an unbiased, open minded jury finding the president not guilty."

Trump is not expected to enter a plea Thursday on the 13 charges, which come after a multi-year probe led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and include racketeering and conspiring to commit forgery.

While other jurisdictions may schedule the arrest and arraignment – or the first court appearance where a defendant enters a plea – within a few hours of each other, arraignments in Fulton County typically occur on a different day.

This means Trump could be forced to travel twice to Georgia in the coming weeks. However, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said a judge could allow some arraignments to happen virtually, or the arraignment could be waived.  

Additionally, unlike New York and federal courts, Georgia courts normally allow video cameras in the courtroom, giving the public a closer view of the former president's legal proceedings.

His planned arrival comes one day after he skipped the first 2024 Republican presidential debate in favor of an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Several of Trump's 18 co-defendants in the case have already surrendered to Fulton County jail, including attorneys John Eastman, Rudy Guiliani and Sidney Powell.

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