Former President Donald Trump has entered a not-guilty plea in response to charges of conspiring to subvert the 2020 election in Georgia. This formal plea underscores his intent to vigorously contest the charges in the extensive racketeering case pursued by Fulton County prosecutors.
In a two-page court filing submitted on Thursday, Trump waived his appearance at the arraignment scheduled for September 6, where the charges were to be formally read to him in court. A number of the 18 co-defendants charged alongside Trump have also opted to waive their appearances at the upcoming arraignment.
Throughout the filing, Trump references himself as “President Trump” or “President Donald Trump” on three occasions.
This plea marks a pivotal phase in the ongoing legal proceedings against Trump in Georgia, triggering the commencement of evidence-sharing by the prosecution as they move forward toward an eventual trial. District Attorney Fani Willis aims to expedite the trial, proposing an October 23 trial date. This accelerated timeline was requested by Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney among the 18 defendants charged alongside Trump in connection with the alleged scheme.
Although Willis is advocating for an expedited trial, Trump has signaled his intention to separate his case from the other defendants. Meanwhile, several co-defendants, including Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, are seeking to transfer the case to federal court. Such a move could lead to a distinct timeline for the trial of all 19 defendants involved.
U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones is currently evaluating Meadows’ request and is expected to make a ruling on this matter in the near future.
COMMENTS