# What happens if Trump is indicted in Georgia? (Indicted on August 14, 2023) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [February 17, 2023, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928 "2023-02-17T03:14:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 96
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1901 "2023-10-24T18:09:29Z")
I suppose so. And I guess there is a value in corroborating testimony as well. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1902 "2023-10-24T18:14:14Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > the four who have pleaded so far are trying to hold onto their careers. Yeah, Powell and Chesebro were high up enough in the conspiracy planners I was hoping some actual prison time for them, but am consoling myself in believing the various bar associations will be telling them to pursue another line of work. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1903 "2023-10-24T18:15:02Z")
Yes, because if you have one person who pled guilty and now is testifying against the Big Fish, defence can try to impeach their credibility, that they’re testifying just to keep themselves out of jail and can’t be trusted. But if you have 4, or 5, or 10, all pleading guilty, **and** their testimony corroborates each other, **and** is supported by their own e-mails and texts, that type of defence is much weaker. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1904 "2023-10-24T18:39:37Z")
I’m not a lawyer, but in theory wouldn’t everyone potentially get a better deal by pleading guilty? Not necessarily the “slap on the wrist probation” deal the first couple of people get, but something better than the sentence they’d be likely to get if they went to trial? I thought that was the point of plea deals… Save the prosecution time and money, and you face a lighter sentence. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1905 "2023-10-24T18:41:21Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I’m not a lawyer, but in theory wouldn’t everyone potentially get a better deal by pleading guilty? Better deal than what? Better than they’d get by going to trial and being found guilty? Almost certainly. Better than they’d get by going to trial and being found _not_ guilty? Almost certainly the no-guilty outcome is better than the plea deal. Do ya feel lucky? … Well? … Do ya? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1906 "2023-10-24T18:41:47Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Better than they’d get by going to trial and being found guilty? Almost certainly Better than they’d get by going to trial and being found _not_ guilty? Almost certainly the no-guilty outcome is better. Yeah, that might be the Trump mindset, fair. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1907 "2023-10-24T19:40:54Z")
> **Hid start of derailment.** > > > [@Atamasama](#): > > > > I’m not a lawyer, but in theory wouldn’t everyone potentially get a better deal by pleading guilty? > > > > Not necessarily the “slap on the wrist probation” deal the first couple of people get, but something better than the sentence they’d be likely to get if they went to trial? > > Unless you are found innocent- yes you are correct. > > This is the issue that faces some kiddie porn or similar defendants- they think their pictures of their nude baby in the tub are okay, but they have a choice- 99 counts and many decades in prison or plead out with no jail time and have to register. > > But the fact these people are pleading out means they think their chances of winning are slight. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1908 "2023-10-24T20:16:35Z")
> **Hid hijack quote** > > > [@DrDeth](#): > > > > This is the issue that faces some kiddie porn or similar defendants- they think their pictures of their nude baby in the tub are okay, but they have a choice- 99 counts and many decades in prison or plead out with no jail time and have to register. Is there an actual case like this? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1909 "2023-10-24T20:32:14Z")
No, do not go down this hijack path. I’ll hide the post that started this. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1910 "2023-10-24T22:26:24Z")
Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1911 "2023-10-27T01:04:09Z")
Five or six more plea deals in the works? > **[Legal experts: Trump's defense may be doomed as 5 more co-defendants seek...](https://news.yahoo.com/legal-experts-trumps-defense-may-191625611.html)** > > Willis “never wanted to try 19 defendants. She wanted 18 guilty pleas and one trial against Donald Trump," ex-prosecutor says. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1912 "2023-10-27T01:05:44Z")
If those defendants – and/or their lawyers – are smart, they’ll be lunging for deals while the getting’s still relatively good. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1913 "2023-10-27T01:53:46Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Yes, because if you have one person who pled guilty and now is testifying against the Big Fish, defence can try to impeach their credibility, that they’re testifying just to keep themselves out of jail and can’t be trusted. > > But if you have 4, or 5, or 10, all pleading guilty, **and** their testimony corroborates each other, **and** is supported by their own e-mails and texts, that type of defence is much weaker. Aha! From that article: > [@](#): > > In a conspiracy case, guilty pleas “tend to snowball,” and that is exactly what we’re seeing here, Saputo explained. The state’s evidence will get stronger with each passing plea as more and more insiders share information with the state and admit wrongdoing. > > “You might be able to attack the credibility of a single person or maybe two people, but **once enough insiders come out willing to testify about the existence of a conspiracy, it begins to strain credibility that all of your former colleagues were acting on their own or in a vacuum,** ” Saputo said. Good to know I’m not just bloviating here! And i liked the commentator’s closing comment: > [@](#): > > “And they can argue that while perhaps the others were conspiring to help Trump, Trump had no knowledge of that,” Saputo said. “But eventually, **even a Trump card can’t pull a joker out of the hat**.” ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1914 "2023-10-27T13:41:38Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Five or six more plea deals in the works? I see the title of the article is “Trump’s defense may be doomed,” but I’m not convinced his team ever planned for any viable defense in court. His entire strategy has been to play to his base and hope he wins the next election. His behavior during his various trials doesn’t seem to make sense because we tend to look at things from the point of view of a “normal” defendant. But Trump isn’t normal, and his behavior in regards to the charges actually makes sense when you realize he isn’t trying to win any legal battles. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1915 "2023-10-28T11:09:01Z")
I just want to say that the “asked/answered” setup of the thread title gives me a chuckle every time I read it now. “What if he got caught? Update: he has been caught.” ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1916 "2023-10-28T16:31:43Z")
We may need a series of edits: “What if Trump is convicted in Georgia?” (Update: he has been convicted) “What if Trump’s appeal is successful in Georgia?” (Update: it was not successful) “What if Trump has to serve prison time in Georgia?” (Update: he is serving prison time in Georgia) ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1917 "2023-10-31T09:27:26Z")
Another extremely well-adjusted fan of Fani Willis exercises _his_ right to free speech (as he understands it): > **[Alabama Trump supporter indicted for allegedly threatening Fulton County D.A....](https://news.yahoo.com/trump-supporter-indicted-threatening-fulton-203800069.html)** > > An Alabama man has been indicted for allegedly making threats against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat. > [@](#): > > An Alabama man has been indicted for making alleged threats against officials in Fulton County, Georgia, involved in the arrest and prosecution of former President Donald Trump. > > A federal grand jury in Atlanta has indicted 59-year-old Arthur Ray Hanson II on charges of transmitting interstate threats to injure Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat over their connection to the arrest and prosecution of the former president. > [@](#): > > “If you think you gonna take a mugshot of my President Donald Trump and it’s gonna be ok, you gonna find out that after you take that mugshot, some bad [expletive]'s probably gonna happen to you,” Hanson allegedly said in his message intended for the sheriff. “… I’m warning you right now before you [expletive] up your life and get hurt real bad.” > > In his messages for Willis, Hanson allegedly told her to “watch everywhere that you’re going” and “there’s gonna be moments when you’re gonna be vulnerable,” among other things. He seems nice. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1918 "2023-10-31T21:14:13Z")
By Reactionary Wacko Traitor standards he probably is nice … er than average. He certainly spells better than the average RWT. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1919 "2023-10-31T21:38:04Z")
Technically, I think these were voicemails, so I’m _far_ from ready to accept your premise 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/1920 "2023-10-31T23:38:21Z")
Oh. I thought they were texts or emails or similar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928.md?page=95) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928.md?page=97)