WATCH LIVE: Judge hears speedy trial requests from Trump co … – Atlanta News First
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The Fulton County judge overseeing one of the most legally complex and socially contentious trials in American history rejected a request from two of the co-defendants to sever their cases from the drama’s central figure, who just happens to be the 45th U.S. president.
On Wednesday, during the first-ever live streamed hearing related to Donald Trump’s historic, sweeping indictments, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee denied requests from co-defendants Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro to sever their cases from Trump’s.
For the moment, McAfee said he is still holding firm on an Oct. 26, 2023, trial date for all of the 19 people named in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ indictment, including Chesebro and Powell. Prosecutors from Willis’ office said they plan to call 150 witnesses in a trial they estimate will last four months, not including jury selection.
Watch Wednesday’s hearing below:
McAfee was scheduled to hear arraignments and pleas from Trump and his 18 co-defendants, but all 19 of those charged in Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ sweeping indictments of three weeks ago have already pleaded “not guilty” and waived their arraignments.
However, McAfee also outlined the logistics of pre-trial motions as well as other pending motions in other courts as being impediments to an October trial date. Willis wants to hold one massive trial for all 19 co-defendants, something McAfee said, “just seems unrealistic.”
The judge also said other pending litigation, such as the ones in federal court, could take months to play their way through the legal system.
“Where does that leave us in the middle of a jury trial?” McAfee asked. “We’ve got less than two months to figure this out.”
Last week, McAfee said he is permitting a live YouTube stream of all related hearings and trials emanating from Willis’ indictment of the former president and his GOP allies who, she alleges, attempted to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. The live stream will be operated by the court.
On Tuesday, all of the remaining co-defendants in the Trump indictment entered not-guilty pleas and waived their arraignment, which was scheduled for Wednesday: former Coffee County elections director Misty Hampton, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer, state Sen. Shawn Still (R-Norcross); and Trump attorney John Eastman.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Willis responded to an effort from Still’s attorneys to remove his case from state court jurisdiction and move it into a federal one. Willis said Still has never been a federal official, only a state-elected official.
Trump’s new Georgia lead attorney filed a response last in Fulton County Superior Court to Willis’ attempt at an Oct. 26, 2023, trial date for all 19 defendants. Steve Sadow’s motion also confirmed Trump will be seeking to remove his case from state court to federal court, similar to the attempt by his former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, to do the same.
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