Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows and some other defendants were granted a pretrial delay in Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy case by the judge overseeing Fulton County, Ga., prosecutor Fani Willis.
Let’s read the news and find out more.
Georgia judge grants Meadows and other defendants pretrial delays
Mark Meadows is trying to move his case to federal court because he thinks the jury will be more favorable there than in Fulton County.
Trump had initially considered taking a similar step, but has now chosen to leave the situation as it is.
The trial of the other defendants, including Trump, is scheduled for August 2024. Four of the defendants have already accepted plea deals.
According to the Washington Examiner, Meadows and the others were allowed to postpone their pretrial motions from Jan. 8 to Feb. 5 by an order issued last week by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.
Also read “Mark Meadows pleads with judge to avoid arrest in Georgia.”
The order applies to Meadows, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, and former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer.
The ruling comes just before Meadows’ scheduled appearance Friday before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit regarding his attempt to bring his case to federal court.
Also read “Willis hits back at Meadows’ push to drop charges against Fulton.”
Meadows and others who want to transfer their cases may believe the federal courts have a greater opportunity to obtain a more favorable jury that is not influenced by Fulton County’s Democratic leanings.
Additionally, all Fulton County court proceedings are streamed live. But if the case is moved to federal court, it won’t be able to be broadcast on television.
Meanwhile, Trump decided to stay in McAfee’s court, defying expectations that he would also try to move his case to federal court.
Also read “Trump reveals one of the first things he will do as president”
Georgia Republicans, who believed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was politically motivated, called for the creation of a new commission to discipline or remove Willis from office for her prosecution of Trump and others.
The commission was suspended earlier this month when the Georgia Supreme Court refused to adopt guidelines for a new commission that would have the power to punish and remove the state’s prosecutors.
The justices wrote in an unsigned order: “If district attorneys exercise judicial power, our regulation of the exercise of that power may well fall within our inherent power as head of the judicial branch. »
Also read “Trump’s appeal against gag order fails in New York case. »
Adding: “But if district attorneys exercise only executive power, our regulation of the exercise of that power would likely exceed the scope of our judicial power. »
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