ATLANTA (Diya TV) — The Georgia Court of Appeals has temporarily halted proceedings in the election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and eight other defendants. The court’s decision, announced Wednesday, delays the case until the resolution of their appeal to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis. This move likely postpones any trial until after the upcoming election, potentially extending into the new year.
The case, which charges Trump and others with a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, faces further uncertainty as the court deliberates. The six co-defendants who did not join the appeal might see their cases proceed, but this remains unclear.
The appeals court has scheduled oral arguments for October to address the appeal against Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s decision to keep Willis on the case. This ruling came after allegations of an improper relationship between Willis and an outside attorney she appointed. However, the exact date for the hearing remains unset, and it’s uncertain if oral arguments will take place at all. The three-judge panel has until March 2025 to issue a ruling.
Trump and his co-defendants are challenging McAfee’s March 15 ruling that allowed Willis to remain on the case. They allege that Willis had a romantic and financially beneficial relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, creating a conflict of interest. McAfee found that Trump’s team failed to prove sufficient evidence of this relationship influencing Willis’s actions.
This decision arrives amidst delays in two other high-profile cases against Trump. A federal judge recently delayed Trump’s trial in Florida regarding classified documents indefinitely. Meanwhile, another federal case in Washington, D.C., concerning Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, is on hold awaiting a Supreme Court decision on Trump’s claim of presidential immunity.
Trump’s only case that might reach trial before the November election involves charges in New York related to falsifying business records, with a guilty verdict already delivered on all 34 charges last week.
Both Trump’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, and Willis’s spokesperson, Jeff DiSantis, declined to comment on the appeals court ruling. However, Sadow previously stated that the appeal was necessary due to Willis’s misconduct. Trump himself commented on the developments, criticizing the legal system and expressing confidence in his defense team.
The eight defendants appealing alongside Trump include notable figures like former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. All defendants have pleaded not guilty, and six others not part of the appeal may still face proceedings. Additionally, four individuals initially charged have accepted plea deals.
If Trump wins the upcoming election, his legal team is expected to attempt to pause the case for the duration of his potential second term. This raises questions about whether Willis’s office would continue prosecuting other defendants during this period.
