Why are Trump’s accused co-conspirators smiling for their mug shots? [Closed as non-compliant, no image, possible paywall – Rawr]

Closed as non-compliant, no image, possible paywall – Rawr

The traditional mug shot is usually a grim affair: poorly lit and sullen. It is a permanent portrait of shame — the legal system’s scarlet letter.

It is, almost by definition, unsmiling.

But the booking photos emerging from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in Atlanta, where Donald J. Trump and 18 others are being charged with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election, include several that are oddly cheerful.

Mr. Trump’s former lawyer Jenna Ellis smiles broadly, as does David Shafer, the former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. Scott Hall, a Trump operative, fails to repress a smirk. Sidney Powell, accused of peddling debunked conspiracy theories about the election, reveals a twinkle in her eye.

Mariam

Article URL : https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/us/politics/trump-politicians-mug-shots.html