Trump’s ‘Not Guilty’ Plea in Georgia Robs Democrats of Televised Spectacle.
Former President Donald Trump Pleads Not Guilty, Skips Hearing in Georgia Election Case
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday and announced that he will not be attending the upcoming hearing in the case accusing him and others of illegally attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee had scheduled arraignment hearings for Trump and the 18 other individuals charged in the case for September 6.
By waiving the arraignment, Trump avoids the need to appear in person.
This decision spares the dramatic scenes that have accompanied Trump’s previous criminal cases, where he was escorted into the courtroom amidst tight security and entered “not guilty” pleas before a crowd of spectators.
Unlike other courts, Georgia allows news cameras in the courtroom, so Trump’s absence means he won’t have to enter a plea on television.
Earlier this month, Trump and 18 others were indicted on 41 counts, alleging a scheme to undermine the will of Georgia voters who had chosen Democrat Joe Biden over the Republican incumbent in the presidential election. Read more about the indictment here.
Several defendants in the case had already waived arraignment, saving them a trip to the courthouse in downtown Atlanta.
Trump previously turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail on August 24, becoming the first former president to have a mugshot taken.
The case, filed under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), is complex, and the logistics of bringing it to trial are expected to be challenging.
Legal maneuvering has already begun, with some defendants demanding a speedy trial and requesting separate trials from the others.
One defendant, Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer involved in a plan to falsely declare Trump as the winner of Georgia, has been given an October 23 trial date.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wants all defendants to be tried together and has requested an October 23 trial date for everyone.
Trump’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, objects to this date and plans to file a motion to separate Trump’s case from those who demand a speedy trial.
Some of the other defendants are seeking to move their cases to federal court.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has made such a request, and arguments were heard on Monday, but a ruling has not yet been issued.
Trump, who is currently the front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has criticized these cases as politically motivated attempts to prevent him from reclaiming the White House.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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