Houston, 9 Sep (ZXS) -- According to US media reports, a judge of the Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia ruled on 14 September that Trump and other defendants suspected of trying to overturn the Georgia presidential election will enter trial proceedings in October this year.
The New York Times reported that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled on the 14th that the trial proceedings of defendants Kenneth Chesbro and Sidney Powell are scheduled to begin on October 10. The two lawyers are suspected of trying to assist Trump in overturning the Georgia presidential election results. The two invoked their right under Georgia law to seek a speedy trial, in part to avoid the high cost of a protracted legal process. McAfee said on the 23th that he hopes to finalize the jurors and complete the oath session by November 14.
CNN reported that McAfee's decision means that Trump may not face trial until next year, when his "legal and political agenda" will be very tight. While dealing with a series of lawsuits, he also has to juggle the presidential election. Since leaving office in 2021, Trump has been criminally charged four times, three of which are scheduled to go to trial in the first half of next year. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in all four cases.
A grand jury in Atlanta, Georgia, filed an indictment in court on August 8, accusing former President Trump and 14 other defendants of trying to overturn the results of the 18 U.S. presidential election in Georgia. On the evening of August 2020, Trump was released on bail after turning himself in to the Fulton County Jail. All 8 defendants in the case have pleaded not guilty. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis requested that the case begin Oct. 24 this year, but Trump asked the judge to separate his case from the one the defendant wanted to be tried quickly. Trump's lawyer, Steven Saadow, said he did not have "enough time" to prepare for the case before Oct. 19, a date that would violate Trump's rights.
In addition, several defendants, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, are seeking to refer the case to federal court, which will also have the effect of delaying the proceedings. But a federal judge has denied Meadows' request, dimming the prospects for several defendants' efforts to transfer cases to federal court. At present, Meadows has appealed the ruling. (End)