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

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Originally Published: 21 AUG 23 12:53 ET
Updated: 21 AUG 23 15:14 ET

(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.

Donald Trump’s legal team has arrived at the Fulton County courthouse where they are expected to meet with the district attorney’s office and negotiate the terms of the former president’s bond and release conditions, sources told CNN.

One of the sources indicated that Trump’s lawyers Todd Blanche, Jennifer Little and Drew Findling will be doing the negotiating. 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.

According to a new court filing on Monday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has reached a bond agreement with one of Trump’s co-defendants: conservative attorney John Eastman. Eastman’s $100,000 bond order is the first to appear on the Fulton County court website.

Defendant Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, also has reached a bond agreement with Willis, according to court filings. Hall’s bond was set at $10,000. As part of the order, he must report to pre-trial supervision every 30 days, and is able to do so by phone. He is also barred from communicating with the other 18 co-defendants in the case. Hall is facing a total of seven charges, including the racketeering count that’s central to Willis’ prosecution.

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 in is Friday at 12 p.m. ET.

This story has been updated with additional development.

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Kerry Mannix

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