Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants will be treated like every suspect who is charged in Fulton County. Sheriff Pat Labat revealed that Trump will be processed and have his mugshot taken.
“At this point, based on guidance received from the District Attorney’s office and presiding judge, it is expected that all 19 defendants named in the indictment will be booked at the Rice Street Jail,” said Natalie Ammons, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, in a statement.
Trump and his co-defendants were charged in a RICO indicted due to alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 Election.
But while Trump will be booked and able to leave after posting bail, others have suffered inside the jail which has been marred by death and horrid conditions.
In September of 2022, Lashawn Thompson was found dead in a filthy jail cell with sores from insect bites all over his body. Thompson was reportedly severely bitten by bed bugs in the cell which was also infested with lice.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner listed Thompson’s death as “undetermined.” There were no signs of trauma, but the examiner noted that there was bed bug infestation and bites on his body. Thompson’s family attorney says an infection from the bites led to cardiac arrhythmia and to his death.
Thompson’s family settled with Fulton County for $4 million on Aug. 2.
Unfortunately, Thompson’s case is not an aberration. Six people have died in the county jail system thus far in 2023.
Last week, a man, 34, was found unconscious in a medical unit cell at the jail where he had been held since 2019.
A lot of the people who are being held at the jail can’t afford bail.
In September 2022, the ACLU released a report on the issues of people who were being held at the jail and could not pay bail. Hundreds of people were held for more than 90 days and had yet to be formally charged. The report revealed 117 people waited in jail for over a year because they had not been indicted; 12 had been held for two years.
The facility, built in 1985, is only suppose to accommodate about 1,300 inmates. However, over 3,000 inmates are currently housed there, causing some to be forced to sleep on cots on the floor.
Following Thompson’s death, the sheriff’s office issued a statement about conditions at the jail, “It’s no secret that the dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions of the current facility make it incredibly difficult to meet the goal of providing a clean, well-maintained and healthy environment for all inmates and staff. That is precisely why Sheriff (Patrick) Labat continues to call building a new Fulton County Jail and Criminal Justice Complex which will provide an elite level of care, mental health services, security and cleanliness.”
