The Georgia Court of Appeals has put a stay on the criminal election interference case against former President Donald J. Trump, pending resolution of a conflict of interest issue regarding the district attorney in Fulton County. The court stated that all proceedings relating to Trump and eight other defendants would be halted until the issue is resolved. Legal experts expect the appeals process to take several months, with a tentative date set for oral arguments on October 4.
Critics of Trump had hoped that he would stand trial in Georgia before facing President Joseph R. Biden in the general election, as he and his allies were indicted last summer in a racketeering case related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The case was delayed after it was revealed that the prosecutor, Fani T. Willis, had a romantic relationship with a lawyer working on the case. Defense lawyers argued for disqualification, but the presiding judge allowed her to stay on. The state appellate court has agreed to hear an appeal on this ruling.
In addition to Trump, others appealing the disqualification ruling include his former personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Trump recently faced criminal charges in New York related to a sex scandal and is awaiting sentencing in that case. No trial dates have been set for the Georgia case or two federal cases against him. Legal challenges have caused delays in all cases.
The Georgia Constitution requires the appeals court to rule on the disqualification issue by March 14, or the trial court’s ruling will stand. With the stay in place, the presiding judge will not be able to rule on Trump’s motion to claim presidential immunity from prosecution in Georgia, a similar argument made in his Washington, D.C. case. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to address the immunity question soon, but any ruling on the matter in Georgia will now be delayed.
Criticism has been revived regarding district attorney Willis’s handling of the high-profile case, with experts suggesting that the appeals process and other pretrial motions could cause further delays. Willis, a Democrat seeking reelection, has faced scrutiny for her management of the case. The possibility of a trial before the election was already unlikely due to the Supreme Court’s involvement in the immunity issue. The stay on proceedings has added to concerns about the case’s future.
Alongside Trump, Giuliani, and Meadows, others appealing the disqualification ruling include former Trump campaign officials and supporters. The district attorney’s office declined to comment on the recent developments. The order to stay proceedings has led to frustration among those eager for a resolution in the case, with legal experts predicting further delays and the potential for a trial to be pushed back until at least 2026.
