Trump’s co-defendants also skip Georgia RICO case arraignment.
Former President Donald Trump and Co-Defendants Plead Not Guilty in Racketeering Indictment
Former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants, who are named in a racketeering indictment in Georgia, have entered not guilty pleas and waived their arraignment appearances. This move comes as they face 13 felonies for their alleged illegal attempt to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.
Trump’s Plea and Waiver
Trump submitted his plea on Thursday, joining the others who were scheduled for arraignments on September 6. However, a standing order by Judge Scott McAfee allows defendants to waive their arraignments and enter not guilty pleas without physically appearing in court.
According to McAfee’s order, defendants must submit their waivers at least 48 hours prior to the hearing date to be excused from appearing.
Waivers Filed by Co-Defendants
As of Friday evening, the following individuals have filed waivers:
- Donald Trump
- Kenneth Chesebro
- Michael Roman
- Ray Smith
- Sidney Powell
- Harrison Floyd
- Robert David Cheeley
- Scott Hall
- Jenna Ellis
- Trevian Kutti
- Rudy Giuliani
In addition to the waivers, various motions have been filed by the co-defendants and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, resulting in a complex web of requests that Judge McAfee and U.S. District Judge Steve Jones are currently sorting out.
Speedy Trials and Severance Requests
Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro are seeking speedy trials, which have been set for October 23 by Judge McAfee. However, Chesebro has also requested to be tried separately from Powell. Meanwhile, Trump’s attorney has requested to sever his case from both Powell and Chesebro, citing the need for due process.
Ray Smith filed a motion on Friday to sever all the defendants’ cases into groups to be determined after reviewing the discovery in the case. Smith’s trump-attorney-argues-impeachment-trial-unconstitutional/” title=”Group Led by Longtime Trump Attorney Argues Impeachment Trial Unconstitutional”>attorney argues that the complexity of the case, involving numerous predicate acts and witnesses, would make it difficult for the jury to comprehend.
Moving Cases to Federal Court
Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, and four others are attempting to move their cases from state to federal court. Trump and other defendants may also pursue the same course of action. Meadows was the first to file for federal removal and had a hearing on Monday in Atlanta.
During the hearing, Meadows testified for hours, asserting that any actions he took, which are now being used against him in the indictment, were done in his official capacity as chief of staff.
Judge Steve Jones is expected to rule on Meadows’s motion soon, and this decision will have significant implications for others attempting the same removal.
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