UPDATE 5:37PM: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAffee approves of the October 2023 trial date for Kenneth John Chesebro. It does NOT apply to Trump or the other defendants:
A Georgia judge approved a rapid trial date for one of former President Donald Trump’s co-defendants in the Fulton County case related to the 2020 election.Judge Scott McAfee ordered a trial date for Oct. 23 for Kenneth Chesebro, who filed a motion for a speedy trial. That leaves just two months for arraignment, evidence discovery, motions and pretrial conferences.The Oct. 23 trial date, however, only applies to Chesebro. “At this time, these deadlines do not apply to any co-defendant,” Judge McAfee’s order states.Chesebro faces seven charges, including a violation of the Georgia’s RICO Act—the Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act.
***Previous reporting…
Fulton County DA Fani Willis has requested an October 23, 2023, trial date for President Donald Trump and the other 18 defendants.
On August 14, 2023, the Fulton County Grand Jury returned a true bill of indictment against Defendant Kenneth John Chesebro, among others, for various non capital felonies. The term of court in which this Indictment was returned was the July-August, 2023 term of the Superior Court ofFulton County, Atlanta Judicial Circuit. See O.C.G.A. § 15-6-3(3). Defendant Kenneth John Chesebro filed on August 23, 2023 a “DEMAND FOR SPEEDY TRIAL.”Without waiving any objection as to the sufficiency of Defendant Kenneth John Chesebro’s filing, the State requests that this Court specially set the trial in this case to commence on October 23, 2023, which falls within the term of the “next succeeding regular court term” after the July-August, 2023 term of the Superior Court ofFulton County, Atlanta Judicial Circuit, as contemplated by
Chesebro, a Trump legal advisor, faces seven charges. He filed the speedy trial motion on Wednesday.
The trial had a March 4, 2024, start date. But maybe, and this is my opinion, Willis’s ego got the best of her and said, “Okay, you’re on, Chesebro.”
Except for one thing. That means the trial is less than two months away. This is a huge case.
I found an article at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that shares my feelings:
The aggressive filing from Chesebro — the legal equivalent of throwing a bomb into the case — could create a massive headache for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and attorneys for the other 18 defendants in the case. It could force Willis to try Chesebro by the end of December and scuttle her plans to prosecute all 19 defendants together.“State law, if requested by a defendant, sets a firm time limit in which to have a fair trial,” said attorney Scott Grubman, who is defending Chesebro with attorney Manny Arora. “Mr. Chesebro has given his official notice that he intends to avail himself of that right. Mr. Chesebro maintains his innocence and remains confident as the legal process continues.”
I wonder if Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAffee, the judge assigned to the case, will accept the proposal.
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