Current:Home > StocksTrump waives right to speedy trial as Georgia prosecutor seeks to try him with 18 others next month-LoTradeCoin
Trump waives right to speedy trial as Georgia prosecutor seeks to try him with 18 others next month
View Date:2024-12-23 19:32:23
ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is waiving his right to seek a speedy trial in the Georgia case in which he and 18 others are accused of participating in an illegal scheme to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump’s filing is part of the legal maneuvering as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willisseeks to try all 19 defendants together starting next month. Most of the defendants have sought to separate their cases from some or all of the others, with many saying they will not be ready by Oct. 23, when a trial has been set for two defendants who have already filed demands for a speedy trial. The judge has expressed skepticism that all defendants could go to trial that day.
Trump’s latest move is in line with efforts the early front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination has taken in his other cases to delay proceedings while he seeks a return to the White House in the 2024 election. He is facing prosecution in a state case in New York, as well as federal cases in Washington and Florida.
The waiver of a speedy trial, which an attorney for Trump said was filed Tuesday, came on the heels of a brief filed by Willis’ office that all the defendants should be tried together because of efficiency and fairness issues. Prosecutors said holding several lengthy trials instead of one beginning on Oct. 23 would “create an enormous strain on the judicial resources” of the court and would favor the defendants tried later, who would have the advantage of seeing the state’s evidence and arguments ahead of time.
According to Georgia law, any defendant who files a demand for a speedy trial has a right to have a trial begin within the court term when the demand is filed or in the next court term. Court terms in Fulton County are two months long and begin the first Mondays in January, March, May, July, September and November.
The Georgia indictment against Trump and the others was filed in the court term that ended earlier this month. Lawyers Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro filed their speedy trial demands before the end of that court term, meaning a trial would have to start before the end of the current court term in early November. The judge has set it to begin Oct. 23.
Prosecutors had noted in their Tuesday brief that while many of the defendants have filed motions to separate their cases from the others, they had not waived their right to demand a speedy trial. They raised concerns that could result in several trials in the high-profile case happening simultaneously.
Meanwhile, five of the defendants are currently seeking to have their cases heard in federal court rather than in state court. They include Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who argued that his actions alleged in the indictment were taken within the scope of his duties as a federal official.
U.S. District Judge Steve Jones last week rejected Meadows’ arguments and sent his case back to Fulton County Superior Court. Meadows has appealed Jones’ ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He asked Jones to put his ruling on hold while that appeal is pending, but Jones on Tuesday issued an order denying that request. Meadows still has a similar request for a hold pending before the appeals court.
The other four defendants who are seeking to move their cases to federal court — former U.S. Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and three fake electors — have hearings before Jones scheduled for next week.
veryGood! (47)
Related
- Solawave Black Friday Sale: Don't Miss Buy 1, Get 1 Free on Age-Defying Red Light Devices
- RHOBH's Kyle Richards Celebrates One Year of Being Alcohol-Free
- A New Battery Intended to Power Passenger Airplanes and EVs, Explained
- How Dueling PDFs Explain a Fight Over the Future of the Grid
- Knicks Player Ogugua Anunoby Nearly Crashes Into Anne Hathaway and Her Son During NBA Game
- Reneé Rapp and More Stars Who Have Left Their Fame-Making TV Series
- Here's the Reason Why Goldie Hawn Never Married Longtime Love Kurt Russell
- Keep Up With Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods' Friendship: From Tristan Thompson Scandal to Surprise Reunion
- Relive Pregnant Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's Achingly Beautiful Romance
- Methane Mitigation in Texas Could Create Thousands of Jobs in the Oil and Gas Sector
Ranking
- Michael Jordan and driver Tyler Reddick come up short in bid for NASCAR championship
- Joe Jonas Admits He Pooped His White Pants While Performing On Stage
- See the Photos of Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods' Surprise Reunion After Scandal
- Lawsuit Asserting the ‘Rights of Salmon’ Ends in a Settlement That Benefits The Fish
- Controversial comedian Shane Gillis announces his 'biggest tour yet'
- All the Tragedy That Has Led to Belief in a Kennedy Family Curse
- CBS New York Meteorologist Elise Finch Dead at 51
- Clean Energy Experts Are Stretched Too Thin
Recommendation
-
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul referee handled one of YouTuber's biggest fights
-
Reliving Every Detail of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Double Wedding
-
Climate Change Wiped Out Thousands of the West’s Most Iconic Cactus. Can Planting More Help a Species that Takes a Century to Mature?
-
North Texas Suburb Approves New Fracking Zone Near Homes and Schools
-
Man found dead in tanning bed at Indianapolis Planet Fitness; family wants stricter policies
-
New IPCC Report Shows the ‘Climate Time Bomb Is Ticking,’ Says UN Secretary General António Guterres
-
Companies Object to Proposed SEC Rule Requiring Them to Track Emissions Up and Down Their Supply Chains
-
Sofía Vergara Shares Glimpse Inside Italian Vacation Amid Joe Manganiello Breakup