Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is appealing a judge’s decision to dismiss several counts in the Georgia election interference indictment against former President Donald Trump and several codefendants. The charges related to allegedly soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer lacked necessary detail about the underlying crime, as ruled by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee in March. Willis’s appeal comes after an appeals court considered disqualifying her from prosecuting the case, giving her an opportunity to challenge other decisions by the lower court judge.
Steve Sadow, Trump’s attorney in Georgia, responded to Willis’s appeal by calling it “not unexpected.” While McAfee’s ruling dismissed six charges against Trump, most of the indictment against him and his co-defendants remain intact. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is pushing for Willis to be disqualified from the case. The Georgia Court of Appeals is considering the challenge to McAfee’s ruling, which permitted Willis to remain on the case if she removed a special prosecutor with whom she had a romantic relationship.
The issues currently before the appeals court are likely to cause further delays in any potential trial start, with McAfee not yet setting a date for the trial. The legal proceedings have been ongoing after Trump and several co-defendants were indicted on 41 counts related to election interference in Georgia. The indictment alleges that Trump and others solicited the violation of oath by a public officer, among other charges, in connection with attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Willis’s appeal is part of the continuing legal battles surrounding the indictment, as both sides argue over the details and implications of the charges. With the potential for Willis to be disqualified from the case, the proceedings are likely to face additional complications in the near future. Trump and his co-defendants are contesting the charges against them and seeking legal remedies to ensure a fair trial process. The outcome of the appeals court decision and any further developments in the case will determine the timeline for a potential trial start.
