{"id":2039485,"date":"2023-09-20T21:09:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T01:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-allows-trump-co-defendants-to-interview-fulton-county-special-purpose-grand-jurors\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T21:12:36","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T01:12:36","slug":"judge-allows-trump-co-defendants-to-interview-fulton-county-special-purpose-grand-jurors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-allows-trump-co-defendants-to-interview-fulton-county-special-purpose-grand-jurors\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge permits Trump&#8217;s co-defendants to interview Fulton County grand jurors."},"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\">20<\/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%2Fjudge-allows-trump-co-defendants-to-interview-fulton-county-special-purpose-grand-jurors%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=2039485&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--><blockquote>\n<div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee\u2063 has granted a request for members of the special purpose grand\u200d jury, which recommended charges against former President Donald Trump \u200bfor his challenge of\u2063 the 2020 election, to be interviewed. This decision comes \u2064after President \u2063Trump \u2062and\u2062 18 others were indicted by a separate grand jury in August for violating Georgia&#8217;s\u2062 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt\u200d Organizations (RICO) Act and other counts. Two of the defendants, Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney\u2063 Powell, have requested a \u2063speedy trial and will be tried together on\u2063 October 23.<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers \u2062for \u200cChesebro\u2064 and Powell, who both served as legal counsel for President Trump during his election challenge, requested access to interview the special\u200b purpose grand jury members and review the transcripts of the \u206375 witness testimonies they heard.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/after-severing-case-trump-co-defendants-move-to-quash-fulton-county-charges-5494247?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>After Severing Case, Trump, \u200cCo-defendants Move \u2064to Quash\u2062 Fulton County Charges<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/19\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/after-severing-case-trump-co-defendants-move-to-quash-fulton-county-charges-5494247?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/judge-denies-fulton-county-da-request-to-try-all-19-defendants-together-in-trump-election-case-5491564?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Judge\u200c Denies \u2063Fulton County\u200c DA Request to Try All \u206219 Defendants \u200cTogether in Trump Election Case<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/14\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/judge-denies-fulton-county-da-request-to-try-all-19-defendants-together-in-trump-election-case-5491564?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Both Chesebro and Powell have \u2063filed motions to dismiss their charges, arguing that the acts they are accused\u2064 of are\u200c not criminal or do not\u200d align \u2063with the charges brought against them.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">In\u200c a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/politics\/judge-allows-lawyers-to-interview-grand-jurors-who-indicted-trump-18-others\/7JWRUAEQ4RH5FKTGLSVXQWQWNA\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tuesday<\/a> order,\u200d Judge McAfee\u200c granted \u2062permission for the defense to interview the grand jurors, who must agree to be\u2062 interviewed \u200bvoluntarily. However, they are prohibited from discussing the deliberations, \u200dwhich \u200cwere conducted in secret according to Georgia law.<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">The defense lawyers have also challenged the\u2063 validity of the RICO\u200d case itself, as they suspect improper conduct\u2063 by the prosecutors from \u2062the Fulton County District Attorney&#8217;s office.\u2064 They pointed to the accidental\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/georgia-posts-then-removes-racketeering-other-charges-against-trump-5464291\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">release<\/a> of a 13-count indictment\u200c against President Trump on the same day the grand jury heard testimonies, raising concerns of potential influence on the\u200c jurors.<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Defense counsel here are entitled,\u2062 and would\u2063 be\u2064 expected, to conduct a thorough investigation in the zealous representation of their clients,&#8221;\u200d Judge McAfee stated.<\/p>\n<p>The court will contact each \u2064juror to inquire about their willingness to be interviewed on the \u200crecord in the presence of the \u2064court, either remotely or\u200b in person. The judge \u200cwill oversee \u2064these interviews to \u200densure the confidentiality\u2063 of the grand jurors&#8217; personal \u2064information.<\/p>\n<p>The defense lawyers have three\u2064 business \u200ddays to submit their proposed questions, and the prosecutors will have three days to respond.<\/p>\n<p>However, the \u2063judge denied the \u2064request for the 75 witness testimonies,\u200b citing \u200dthe Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling. He\u2064 emphasized that &#8220;all grand \u2063juries require \u2063secrecy and protection from certain disclosures&#8221; and that\u2062 the \u2062materials belong to the District Attorney&#8217;s office,\u200d not the court.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless,\u200c the judge ordered that testimonies for any \u2063of the \u200b75 witnesses called in pretrial hearings must be\u2064 shared with the defense. This will occur either\u2063 when the state decides to call \u2062the individual\u200b as a witness or when\u200b the individual \u200cis added to\u200b the state&#8217;s list of witnesses.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">The defense has already received the testimony of Robert Cheeley, as he is one of\u200d the \u206219 defendants\u2062 indicted. <\/p>\n<h2>Special \u2062Purpose Grand \u200dJury<\/h2>\n<p> On May \u20642, 2022, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fulton-county-grand-jury-was-totally-unhinged-reveals-election-lawyer\/\" title=\"Fulton County Grand Jury Exposed as Unhinged, Says Election Lawyer\">special purpose\u200b grand jury<\/a> was\u2063 sworn \u200cin and spent the next six months hearing testimony from 75 witnesses.<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;The\u2063 Grand Jury \u200dwas impaneled to \u2062investigate a specific issue: \u2064the facts and circumstances relating\u200c directly or indirectly to possible attempts to disrupt the\u200b lawful administration of the 2020 \u200bpresidential\u200b elections in \u200cthe State of Georgia,&#8221; the report stated.<\/p>\n<p>The panel\u200c granted\u2063 Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis \u2064the power to subpoena witnesses who would not have testified \u200cotherwise.<\/p>\n<p>The final report was submitted on \u200bDecember 15, 2022, and initially released in part.\u200b President \u2062Trump attempted to \u2062have the \u200breport quashed, but\u200c his motion was \u2062dismissed. The full report was\u200c released in August after the indictment, revealing\u2064 the individuals\u2064 recommended for prosecution by\u2063 the panel. Some of these recommendations were\u200c related\u200c to perjury, as the grand jurors believed that some of the 75 witnesses had lied under oath. However, none of the testimonies were made public.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">The \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-allows-trump-co-defendants-to-interview-fulton-county-special-purpose-grand-jurors\/\" title=\"Judge permits Trump's co-defendants to interview Fulton County grand jurors.\">special purpose grand jury \u200cinitially recommended charges<\/a> against 39 individuals, but the August indictment\u2062 included 19 defendants and 30 additional \u200c&#8221;co-conspirators&#8221; who\u200d were not \u2064named \u200cor \u200cindicted. Some of the unindicted individuals were those whom several grand jurors had voted\u200b against indicting, such \u2063as the slate of \u200balternate electors.<\/div>\n<p>The \u200cprosecution has already provided the defense attorneys for Chesebro\u2063 and Powell \u200dwith a list of these individuals.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">In \u200dtheir report, the special purpose grand jury stated that their recommendations were made independently, without\u200b influence from \u200dthe\u200c district\u200d attorney&#8217;s office or outside counsel.<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;This Grand Jury contained \u200bno election \u200claw experts or criminal lawyers. The majority of this grand jury used their collective best efforts, however, to attend every session,\u200b listen to every witness, and attempt to\u2064 understand the facts\u200d as presented and the laws as explained,&#8221; they wrote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What concerns have the defense lawyers raised regarding\u2062 the validity of \u2063the RICO case and potential misconduct by\u2063 the prosecutors in \u200drelation to the grand jury\u200b proceedings<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ng testimony and reviewing evidence related to allegations of election fraud in the \u200c2020 \u200dpresidential \u2064election in Georgia. The\u200c grand jury, consisting of 12 members,\u2062 was empaneled by Fulton\u200d County District Attorney Fani Willis in response to public\u200b outcry and demands\u200d for \u200dan\u2064 investigation into the election results.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200bspecial purpose grand jury&#8217;s investigation \u200cwas\u200b conducted\u2062 in secret, as is standard procedure for grand \u200cjury proceedings. The members\u2063 heard testimonies from 75 witnesses \u200cand \u200breviewed various pieces of \u2064evidence presented by the prosecutors. After completing their investigation, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-grand-jury-recommended-charges-against-sens-lindsey-graham-kelly-loeffler-david-perdue-and-multiple-trump-allies\/\" title=\"Georgia grand jury recommends charges against Sens. Graham, Loeffler, Perdue, and Trump allies.\">grand jury recommended charges<\/a> against former President \u200dDonald Trump and 18 others,\u2062 including Kenneth\u200c Chesebro and Sidney Powell.<\/p>\n<p>The decision to grant the defense&#8217;s\u200b request for\u200c interviews\u2064 with the grand jury \u200bmembers comes as a significant development in the case.\u2064 The \u2062defense lawyers for Chesebro and Powell\u2062 argue that the interviews\u200b are essential to their clients&#8217; right\u2063 to \u200ba fair\u2062 trial. They seek to question the grand jurors about their deliberations and ascertain any potential biases or improper conduct during the proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is important\u2062 to note that the interviews\u2062 will be conducted voluntarily, and the grand jurors are prohibited \u2062from\u2063 discussing\u200d the deliberations themselves due to Georgia law&#8217;s secrecy requirements. This ensures \u2064the \u200bconfidentiality and\u200c integrity of the grand jury process.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the\u2064 defense lawyers have also raised\u200d concerns\u2063 about the\u200b validity of the RICO case and potential misconduct by the prosecutors. They point to the accidental release \u200dof a 13-count indictment against President Trump \u2064on the same day the \u200cgrand jury heard testimonies, suggesting the possibility of undue influence on the jurors. These concerns further highlight\u200c the need for a thorough investigation into the proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>Judge McAfee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fulton County Judge McAfee partially granted the request to interview members of the special purpose grand jury, who had recommended charges against ex-President Trump for his election challenge. In August, Trump and 18 others were indicted by a separate grand jury for violating Georgia&#8217;s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt laws.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2167,"featured_media":2039486,"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-2039485","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\/2039485","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\/2167"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2039485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2039485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2039486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2039485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2039485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2039485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}