ATLANTA (AP) — They were taken down stairs to a garage under the courthouse in downtown Atlanta. A policeman with a big gun was waiting there. From there, they were ushered into a van with dark windows and driven into a vehicle under police escort.

For Emily Kors, these were the moments last May when she realized she wasn’t on board at all. grand jury.

“This was the first indication that this was a big shady deal,” Coles told the Associated Press.

A 30-year-old Fulton County resident out of work suddenly found herself at the center of one of the country’s most important legal proceedings.she was the president at the time donald trump and his fellow Republicans illegally interfered in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election.The case emerged as one of Trump’s Most obvious legal vulnerability When he launched his third presidential campaign, one reason was he was recorded Ask state election officials “Find 11,780 votes” for him.

Over the next eight months, Coles and her fellow jurors would hear the testimony of 75 witnesses, ranging from Trump’s most prominent supporters to local election officials. Part of the Panel’s final report It was released last Thursday. The report’s recommendations for accusations on other issues, including attempts to influence the election, remain secret for now.

AP identified Kohrs because her name was included in a subpoena obtained through an open records request. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney advised Coles and other jurors about what she could and could not share publicly, including her interview with the news media.

During a recent lengthy interview, Coles followed the judge’s instructions not to discuss details related to jury deliberations. She also declined to discuss unpublished portions of the panel’s final report.

But her general characterization provided extraordinary insight into processes that are usually kept secret.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Ravensperger Trump pressure campaign, “It was a really geeky kind of funny,” she said. State House Speaker David Ralston, who died in November, was a jovial, jerky room. Brian Kempwho managed to delay his appearance until after his re-election in November seemed unhappy to be there.

Kohrs was fascinated by a Georgia voting machine explainer provided by a former Dominion Voting Systems executive. She also enjoyed learning about the inner workings of the White House from Cassidy Hutchinson, who Coles said was much more proactive than her old boss, the former White House chief of staff. Mark Meadows.

Kohrs sketched the witnesses’ stories in her notebook and was tickled when Bobby Christine, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, complimented her on her “amazing talent.” After her work was done, she managed to retrieve two sketches when the jury’s notes were shredded. Lindsey Graham Former Vice President Chief of Staff Mark Short Mike Pence —because there were no notes on those pages.

After Graham tried hard to avoid testifying, his fight went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but Coles was surprised at how politely he answered questions and joked with the jury. .

Former New York City Mayor, Trump Attorney Rudy Giuliani As a joke, she exercised her privilege of avoiding answering many questions, but “seemed to seriously consider” whether it was worth it before declining to answer, she said.

When witnesses refused to answer almost all questions, lawyers were involved in what Coles came to think was “show and tell.” Attorneys show videos of people appearing on television or testifying before the House committee they investigated. Riots at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, periodically asking witnesses to confirm certain things. Then, as the jurors tallied how many times that person had invoked the Fifth Amendment, they heard a pen scratch on paper.

At least one person who resisted answering questions became much more cooperative when prosecutors offered him immunity before the jury, Kohrs said. I have a contract.

Trump’s lawyers say Trump was never asked to testify. Coles said the grand jury wanted to hear from the former president, but didn’t expect him to provide meaningful testimony.

“Trump was not the battle we chose to fight,” she said.

Kohrs did not vote in 2020, only vaguely aware of the controversy swirling after the election.she didn’t know the details Trump claims election fraud is rampant Or his efforts to undo his losses. It was the first time Coles heard it when prosecutors replayed the phone call between the then-President and Raffensperger on the first day the jury was assembled to consider the evidence.

“We just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more vote than we have,” Trump said on the phone.

Coles said he tends to favor Democrats, but said he doesn’t identify with any party and prefers to listen to everyone.

“If I had to choose a political party, it would be the one that isn’t crazy,” she said.

Calling himself a “justice system nerd,” Kohrs noted that some jurors face challenges balancing their responsibilities on the panel with their external obligations. When she eagerly volunteered to become a foreperson, she met no resistance from her fellow jurors.

One of her first duties as a foreperson was to sign mass subpoenas.

As the trial progressed, one of her fellow jurors brought in a daily newspaper and pointed out stories about the investigation. Coles said prosecutors urged jurors to read news reports related to the case but to keep an open mind.

Kohrs said he avoided most talks related to the minutes to avoid forming an opinion.

“I didn’t want to characterize anyone before I walked into the room,” she said. “I felt they all deserved an impartial audience.”

Of the 26 jurors — 23 jurors and 3 alternates — 16 had to be present for a quorum. From 12 he said he had a core of 16. He had a group and attended sessions almost every day, but only one day was he unable to continue because there weren’t enough seats available. Kohrs says. The highest number of people Giuliani testified that day was 22.

As the months went on, the grand jury became more comfortable with each other and with the four attorneys on Fulton County District Attorney Fanni Willis’ team who led the case. Not all are close friends.

“We’re not meeting now. We don’t have group chats,” Kohrs says.

The jury sought the testimony of certain witnesses, but most witnesses were determined by the district attorney’s office. But Coles said he didn’t feel prosecutors were trying to influence the jury’s final report.

“We fully support our report as a decision and conclusion,” she said.

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Follow AP’s coverage of investigations related to former President Donald Trump. https://apnews.com/hub/trump-investigations.