Georgia Today: More Trump defendants surrender; Rap video as evidence; Savannah town square update

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Wednesday, Aug. 23. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, more defendants indicted, along with former President Donald Trump, turned themselves in, with the former president expected in town tomorrow. The Georgia Supreme Court hears arguments on whether it was illegal to use a rap video as evidence in a recent murder trial. Then the Savannah City Council prepares to vote on a new name for one of the city's historic town squares. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Former President Donald Trump is expected to turn himself in tomorrow at the Fulton County Jail. He and 18 others were indicted last week under Georgia's racketeering law. Part of this process usually involves the taking of a mugshot and fingerprints. But will Trump be subjected to the same process as any other person in this stage of the justice system? For more on this, we turn to GPB's Stephen Fowler. Hey, Stephen.

Stephen Fowler: Hey there.

Peter Biello: So how might former President Trump's experience differ from the usual experience of a surrender at the Fulton County Jail? Is there a part of the process that he gets to skip by virtue of being a former president?

Stephen Fowler: Well, yeah, Peter, you know, most people, in fact, almost nobody that I can think of that has ever walked into the Fulton County Jail is under Secret Service protection. There are security risks involved with dealing with a former president and other concerns. So, you know, he will not have to sit around and wait like people may have to do otherwise for the booking process. Also, there will likely be people expecting him knowing when he's coming and may be prepared to do some of the processing, the fingerprinting, the booking photo, etc., to make sure that the process is speedy because it's a security risk for him. It's a security risk for the jail. And it's the type of VIP treatment that being the former president of the United States gets you. There has been some reporting out there suggesting that Trump tried to negotiate, not getting his mug shot taken. We can't confirm that and we don't know. But Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labott has said that Trump wouldn't be treated any different from anyone else in that regard.

Peter Biello: And how is this process played out so far with others who have turned themselves in, like, for example, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani?

Stephen Fowler: Yeah. So there are 18 other people that also have the deadline of Friday at noon. Some have come in the middle of the day. Some have come in the middle of the night. We haven't really seen too much from them, other than John Eastman, who is a constitutional scholar and attorney who helped orchestrate the plan for the alternate electors and told Georgia lawmakers that they could overturn the election. He did give a little bit of a brief statement afterwards. But other than that, we have just been seeing the data entered into the Fulton County Sheriff's website. And once a day they've been emailing booking photos.

Peter Biello: And about how long will former President Trump end up staying at the Fulton County Jail once he's there?

Stephen Fowler: Look, you know, the former president and all of these other people are getting bond agreements, which means they won't have to be locked up in a cell or detained overnight or anything like that, ranging from just a few thousand dollars to $200,000 for Trump. And so he'll be in there only as long as the processing takes. You know, that's not lengthy. It's not a speedy experience where you can go in and be in and out in 5 minutes. I mean, this is jail, after all. But it should be between 30 to 45, maybe even 60 minutes to get everything done, because all of the paperwork and the processing and again, the heightened sense of security around the jail and inside the jail. In fact, they've said there's going to be a full lockdown for the surrounding area, for reporters and others. once the former president enters the area.

Peter Biello: There is a GOP debate tonight in Wisconsin that — that Trump is not participating in; he's going to be doing his separate thing with Tucker Carlson in an interview that's going to be released on social media. Is the timing of Trump's decision to turn himself in tomorrow important?

Stephen Fowler: Absolutely. I mean, everything is intentional. And as this debate is happening with eight other contenders that are in the low single digits, maybe double digits, and Trump is polling with more than a majority of Republican primary voters, this absolutely already is overshadowing the debate before the first question is even answered. And so that plus Trump's counterprogramming interview, plus all of the media attention on his surrender to Fulton County means most people probably won't even know that there was a debate.

Peter Biello: GPB's Stephen Fowler. Thanks very much for speaking with me.

Stephen Fowler: Thank you.

Peter Biello: More of those who are due to surrender by noon Friday appeared in Atlanta to do so today. Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Tesoro, Kathleen Latham, David Shafer, and Ray Smith. Shafer was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the state's 2020 presidential election and declared themselves the duly elected and qualified electors. Latham, another fake elector, is also accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in Coffee County.

Caption

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during an interview at her office, Feb. 24, 2021, in Atlanta. The prosecutor who's investigating whether Donald Trump and others broke the law by trying to pressure Georgia officials to overturn Joe Biden's presidential election victory is asking the FBI for security help after the former president railed against prosecutors investigating him.

Credit: AP Photo/John Bazemore, File

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Meanwhile, civil rights groups and community leaders are rallying today to support Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. GPB's Donna Lowry reports they're pushing back against calls by some Republicans to sanction Willis after former President Trump's indictment.

Donna Lowry: With the capitol in the background, about a dozen people spoke, including Democratic state Sen. Tanya Anderson of Lithonia for the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.

Tanya Anderson: We stand by District Attorney Fani Willis and her efforts to uphold the law and hold individuals accountable regardless of their position. We believe that her commitment to justice aligns with the values we hold dear.

Donna Lowry: Bishop Reginald Jackson of the African Methodist Episcopal Church directed his words to Republican lawmakers who want Willis removed from office.

Tanya Anderson: Why is it you would investigate the district attorney of Fulton County? Because she did a thorough and factual investigation and indictment? But you do nothing against the district attorney of Coffee County.

Donna Lowry: The former chair of the Coffee County Republican Party is one of the eight people indicted, along with former President Trump. For GPB News, I'm Donna Lowry at the Georgia Capitol.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: The nation's top agriculture official was in Coastal Georgia yesterday to announce a new program aimed at helping owners of small forests. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined a $150 million Biden administration program for those from underserved communities, as well as foresters who own less than 2,500 acres. He spoke in Brunswick at a conference of African-American forest owners.

Tom Vilsack: It could be for education, it could be for training, collecting data and information to be able to assure these ecosystem markets that they're getting the carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reductions that they seek.

Peter Biello: Individual landowners seeking grants must apply through nonprofits and other groups like land trusts.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: The Georgia Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case to decide whether a rap video clip used in a murder trial illegally prejudiced the jury. A jury in Middle Georgia's Houston County convicted a rapper's road manager of murdering a security guard outside of a nightclub and Warner Robins four years ago. Attorney Donald Samuel told the justices that there wasn't any evidence that his client, Morgan Baker, glorified violence other than a 33-second video clip of Baker holding a gun.

Donald Samuel: I can't think of any reason you would be allowed to argue to a jury that this rap video and these people are promoting violence. It was a video. It was — it was art.

Peter Biello: The county's district attorney argued that the video was crucial in establishing Baker's motive for the shooting.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: Record heat is settling in over Georgia this week, making life tough for many. But for mosquitoes, it's time to thrive. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more.

Grant Blankenship: According to the science nonprofit Climate Central, temperatures are expected to break 100 degrees by Friday and almost certainly due to human induced climate change. And according to the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, mosquitoes flourish in this kind of heat. That's not news to the medical staff at the Daybreak Homeless Day shelter in Macon, where a run on bug repellent forced Dr. Laurie Tharp to make it from scratch.

Dr. Laurie Tharp: I went to the health food shop and looked up what oils I need and packed boxes with cotton pads and soaked them with the insect repellent. And for a while, that's what all we had to hand out.

Grant Blankenship: Meanwhile, experts warn mosquito-borne illnesses like the two cases of malaria in Florida this year, are spreading in a warming world. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: The union representing 340,000 UPS workers says its members voted to approve the tentative contract agreement reached last month. The Teamsters said that 86% of the votes cast were in favor of ratifying the national contract. Voting on the new five-year contract concluded yesterday after negotiations broke down in early July. Atlanta-based UPS reached a tentative contract agreement with the Teamsters just days before an Aug. 1 deadline.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: The Savannah City Council is expected to vote tomorrow night on a new name for one of its historic squares in the city's downtown. The square in question used to be named after former Vice President John C. Calhoun. That was until late last year when City Council voted to remove Calhoun's name, citing his staunch support for slavery. Multiple council members have signaled their support for Susie King Taylor. She was a Black woman born into slavery near Savannah who went on to serve as a Union Army nurse during the Civil War. But who are some of the other nominees? To learn about that, GPB's Orlando Montoya spoke with our Savannah-based reporter Benjamin Payne.

Orlando Montoya: Who you attended a recent public meeting where citizens shared the historical figures that they hope to see the town square named after. Tell us more about that process.

Benjamin Payne: That's right. This was a meeting of the Historic Site and Monument Commission in Savannah. The meeting ran over three hours long, so I'm not going to have time to talk about all of the nominees. But I do want to share three lesser-known ones who were discussed. First off: Maj. Clayton Carpenter. He was an Army helicopter pilot who tragically died while flying a training exercise at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. This was back in 2014, so Carpenter's memory is still very much alive in the minds of his comrades, including Jon Ternstrom, a soldier who was riding with Carpenter in the helicopter that crashed. Ternstrom nominated him to be the namesake of the town square. Here's what he had to say:

Jon Ternstrom: I acknowledge that there are people who feel that a soldier who dies while serving their country is simply doing their job and should not be recognized. I know there are people who don't think that soldiers are not really a part of this community. While I do not agree with that, they are allowed to have this opinion because of the soldiers like Maj. Carpenter who have died to guarantee their freedoms.

Benjamin Payne: Ternstrom credits Maj. Carpenter with saving his life by cutting the engine's power in such a way that saved the crew, at the expense of Carpenter's own life.

Orlando Montoya: So Maj. Carpenter is one of the more modern-day figures being considered for this square. I understand you also want to tell us about a nominee from a much more further back time in Savannah's history.

Benjamin Payne: That's right. Another potential name for the town square is Creek Square, as in the Lower Creek tribe of Native Americans. They're among the original inhabitants of the land that later became known as Savannah when the British colonized Georgia in the 1700s. The name Creek Square was nominated by a Savannah resident, Angel Brayboy. Here she is talking about the tribe compared to John Calhoun.

Angel Brayboy: I do think that if we are going to take the square from someone who was a bigot, a segregationist, and someone who simply wasn't born and raised here, the least we could do is give it back to the people that it rightfully belongs to. And that is the people of the Creek nation and the other tribes within that nation.

Benjamin Payne: Brayboy wrote in her application that naming the square after the Lower Creek tribe would serve as a “welcome back” symbol for Indigenous people who may be hesitant to live in Savannah again.

Orlando Montoya: And the last nominee for the town square that you'd like to share?

Benjamin Payne: That would be Robert Abbott. He was the founder and publisher of The Chicago Defender. For much of the 1900s, the Defender was a hugely influential Black newspaper that advocated for civil rights. And listeners might be thinking, ‘OK, well what does the Chicago Defender have to do with Savannah?’ Well, Abbott grew up in Savannah. He was born on St. Simons Island further down the Georgia coast, but spent his childhood learning the newspaper trade from his stepfather. Robert Abbott was nominated to be the namesake of the town square by a Savannah resident, Martha Keber.

Martha Keber: He used the Defender as a way to fight injustice, whether found in the courts or the lynch mob. Abbott engaged his readers with screaming red headlines and graphic eyewitness accounts. And, he offered solutions — Robert Abbott took to heart his stepfather's strong belief that a newspaper was the most important weapon for an oppressed people.

Benjamin Payne: Keber also said that it used to be illegal in Georgia to possess a copy of the Chicago Defender, but that nevertheless, Abbott's newspaper found its way to many Black churches throughout Georgia.

Orlando Montoya: So tell us what's next in the renaming process for the former Calhoun Square.

Benjamin Payne: Well, Savannah City Council is scheduled to take up the matter on Thursday night. There's bound to be a lot of public comment, since more than a dozen potential nominees are being considered for the new namesake. Councilmembers could table this for further discussion, but at this point it seems more likely that they'll put it to a vote and decide on a new name for the former Calhoun Square.

Orlando Montoya: That's GPB's Savannah-based reporter Benjamin Payne. Benjamin, thanks very much.

Benjamin Payne: Thanks for having me.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: The PGA Tour season that began last September will end at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club with the Tour championship beginning tomorrow. For a second straight year, Scottie Scheffler is the No. 1 seed for the FedEx Cup finale. He lost a six-shot lead in the final round to Rory McIlroy last year. After the championship, East Lake will close for a year of renovations. The club plans to bring back the look and feel of the course's golden age when Bobby Jones and other greats played their.

Story 9:

Peter Biello: And in baseball, the Atlanta Braves face the Mets at home tonight for the last of the three-game series. The Braves beat the Mets last night, 3 to 2. Marcell Ozuna homered for the second night in a row, going 3 for 3 with a walk. Bryce Elder pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run on two hits. Elder says this game was a little more challenging than his last, in which he held the Yankees to one hit over seven shutout innings.

Bryce Elder: I had to kind of pitch out of some trouble and it was kind of a little bit of a grind. But I was pleased with how I kind of worked my way through it and got out of it.

Peter Biello: After today, the Braves hit the road for a series of games on the West Coast, returning to Truist to face the Cardinals on Sept. 5.

That's it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, check out our website, GPB.org/news. And if you haven't yet subscribed to this podcast, do it now. We're going to have more news and your podcast feed tomorrow afternoon. And as always, if you've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Email us. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news.

Read the latest updates on the Georgia indictments here.