{"id":2022412,"date":"2023-09-05T16:07:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T20:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/all-19-defendants-plead-not-guilty-waive-arraignments-in-georgia-election-case\/"},"modified":"2023-09-05T16:09:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T20:09:10","slug":"all-19-defendants-plead-not-guilty-waive-arraignments-in-georgia-election-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/all-19-defendants-plead-not-guilty-waive-arraignments-in-georgia-election-case\/","title":{"rendered":"All 19 defendants deny charges, skip arraignments in Georgia election case."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fall-19-defendants-plead-not-guilty-waive-arraignments-in-georgia-election-case%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2022412&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>All \u206219 defendants in \u200bFulton County, Georgia, District Attorney\u200b Fani\u200b Willis\u2019s 2020 election probe have pleaded\u200c not guilty to the charges against them and waived their formal \u200darraignments.<\/p>\n<p>Former \u200bWhite House chief\u200b of staff Mark Meadows was among the final defendants\u200d to enter \u200ba plea \u200con Sept. \u20645,\u200b alongside former\u200c Trump attorney \u2063John Eastman and former Coffee County\u2063 election official Misty Hampton.<\/p>\n<p>Former\u2063 Coffee\u2062 County GOP\u2062 Chair Cathy Latham \u200centered her plea on Sept. 4,\u200c while former Georgia \u2064GOP Chair David Shafer \u2062and Georgia State Sen. Shawn Still\u2062 entered theirs \u200con Sept. 3. Former Justice\u200c Department official \u200cJeffrey Clark\u2019s plea was \u2062submitted on Sept. 1.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2><strong>Related Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/in-trump-georgia-case-defendants-rely-on-donations-for-legal-expenses-5486586\">In \u2062Trump Georgia Case, Defendants Rely on Donations for Legal Expenses<\/a><br \/>\n        <br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">9\/5\/2023<\/span>\n      <\/li>\n<li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/trump-pleads-not-guilty-in-fulton-county-5484201\">Trump Pleads \u2064Not Guilty\u200b in Georgia Election Racketeering Case, Files to Sever \u200dCase<\/a><br \/>\n        <br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">8\/31\/2023<\/span>\n      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In total, 41 charges have\u200d been filed against the defendants, including violation of Georgia\u2019s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, impersonating a public officer, and forgery, among others.<\/p>\n<p>The Aug. 14 indictment alleges that\u200c President Donald Trump and the other co-defendants engaged in a conspiracy to\u200d \u201cunlawfully change the outcome\u201d of Georgia\u2019s \u200c2020 presidential election.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/trump-pleads-not-guilty-in-fulton-county-5484201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">President Trump pleaded\u200d not \u2064guilty<\/a> on\u2064 Aug. 31 to the 13 charges he is facing.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Removal Decision Pending<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>    \u200bMr. Meadows, who was charged with violating the state\u2019s RICO Act\u200c and soliciting violation\u2062 of oath\u200d by a public officer, is one\u200b of a\u2064 handful\u200b of defendants \u200cseeking to have their cases removed to federal court.\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>According to the 98-page indictment, the \u2063former White House official\u2019s role in the alleged racketeering conspiracy was coordinating and \u200dattending meetings to\u2063 strategize ways to disrupt and delay the counting of the \u2063electoral votes \u200con Jan. \u20646, 2021.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2062document \u200calso claims that\u200b he pressured\u2062 an investigator\u200b in \u200bthe Georgia secretary of state\u2019s office\u200b to speed up \u200bthe \u2063Fulton County signature \u2063verification process and\u200b that he participated in a \u2063phone call in\u2063 which President Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State\u200b Brad Raffensperger\u200b to \u201cfind\u201d evidence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/all-19-defendants-plead-not-guilty-waive-arraignments-in-georgia-election-case\/\" title=\"All 19 defendants deny charges, skip arraignments in Georgia election case.\">determinative voter fraud<\/a> \u200din\u2064 the election.<\/p>\n<p>In filing \u2062the notice of removal, Mr. Meadows\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-launches-2nd-petition-to-quash-fulton-county-election-interference-probe\/\" title=\"Trump starts second petition to stop Fulton County election interference investigation.\">legal team noted<\/a> that the actions he had been indicted for were performed in his capacity as a federal official. As \u2064such, they argued\u2064 that the \u2063case\u200d should either be \u2064dismissed or tried in\u200b a\u2063 federal court.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. District Judge Steve C.\u2062 Jones \u2063of the Northern\u2062 District of Georgia\u200c held a hearing on the\u2064 matter on\u200c Aug. 28, during which\u200d he heard several hours of testimony from Mr. Meadows,\u2063 Mr. Raffensperger, and other witnesses.<\/p>\n<p>After\u2064 the hearing, \u2064the\u200c Obama-appointed judge ordered the defense and prosecution \u2063to brief him on whether he could \u2063hear the case in \u200cfederal court \u200dif it was determined that \u201cat least one (but not all) of \u200dthe \u200bovert \u2062acts\u201d of\u2063 which Mr. Meadows stands accused had occurred \u201cunder \u200dthe color of\u201d his office.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/georgia-prosecutors-say-federal-court-should-return-meadows-case-to-state-court-5483477\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prosecutors responded<\/a> that such a \u2064finding would not be\u200d sufficient to authorize removal because Mr. Meadows\u2019s prosecution was not\u200d due\u200c to any singular \u2063\u201covert act\u201d but rather because he \u201cknowingly and willfully entered into \u200can \u200cagreement to violate the Georgia RICO\u200c Act.\u201d\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u200d    \u201cThe defendant is charged in Count 1 with agreeing to join a conspiracy that planned \u200dto overturn the lawful results of\u2063 an\u200d election in Georgia,\u201d prosecutors wrote in an Aug. 31 filing (<a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.gand.319225\/gov.uscourts.gand.319225.66.0_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pdf<\/a>). \u201cA scenario \u200cwhere\u200d at least \u200done, but not all, of the overt\u2062 acts \u2064attributed to \u2064the defendant in\u2062 Count 1 of \u2064the Indictment \u200doccurred under color of office\u200d \u2026 would not demonstrate that his agreement to\u2063 join\u2063 in the RICO conspiracy described in Count 1 was an act \u200c\u2018for \u2063or related to\u2019 his duties \u200cas Chief of Staff.\u201d\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u2063\u2063 But Mr. Meadows\u2019 attorneys noted that, under the \u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/28\/1442\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal\u200c Officer Removal\u200c Statute<\/a>,\u200b civil lawsuits \u2064or criminal prosecutions against \u200dor directed \u200bto \u200cfederal officers may be removed to\u2064 the appropriate \u2063U.S. district court \u2062\u201cfor \u200bor relating to any act under color of [federal] office.\u201d\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Ms.\u2064 Willis \u200dhad initially proposed March 4, 2024\u2014the day before\u2062 Super\u200d Tuesday\u2014as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-snubs-special-counsel-issues-limited-gag-order-in-trump-election-case\/\" title=\"Judge denies special counsel's request, imposes partial gag order in Trump election case.\">trial start \u2064date<\/a>\u2062 for all defendants. But as the former president is also a current presidential\u2062 candidate, he objected to that date.<\/p>\n<p>Fellow defendant\u2062 Kenneth Chesebro also objected, demanding a speedy\u200b trial, so Judge Scott\u2063 McAfee approved a Nov. 3 trial date for Mr. Chesebro only.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u2064  \u200dAs other defendants are expected to follow suit, Ms. Willis\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/trump-judge-respond-to-fulton-county-das-october-2023-trial-proposal-5480217\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alternati<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All 19 defendants in Fulton County, GA, DA Fani Willis&#8217;s 2020 election probe pleaded not guilty, waiving formal arraignments. Mark Meadows, ex-White House chief of staff, along with John Eastman and Cleta Mitchell, former Trump attorneys, entered their pleas on Sept. 5, concluding the defendants&#8217; pleas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1226,"featured_media":2022413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2022412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2022412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2022412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2022412\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2022413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2022412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2022412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2022412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}