Appeals Court Puts Trump’s Ga. Case on Hold While Reviewing Decision Allowing DA Willis to Remain
A court of appeals has paused the Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and others as it reviews the lower court judge’s decision allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to stay on the case.
The Georgia Court of Appeals issued an order on Wednesday halting the progress of pretrial motions by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee while the appeal is pending. The case was unlikely to go to trial before the November general election, where Trump is expected to be the Republican nominee for president, and this recent development further solidifies that.
On Monday, the appeals court docketed appeals from Trump and eight others, with a tentative oral argument scheduled for Oct. 4. The court has until mid-March to make a ruling, and the losing party can appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.
A representative for Willis declined to comment on the appeals court’s ruling.
In August, a Fulton County grand jury indicted Trump and 18 others for allegedly participating in a scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. While some defendants pleaded guilty, Trump and others maintain their innocence. This is one of four criminal cases against Trump.
Trump and eight defendants sought to remove Willis from the case, citing a conflict of interest due to her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. McAfee ruled in March that no conflict existed, but allowed Trump’s request to appeal the decision to the state Court of Appeals.
McAfee raised concerns about the truthfulness of Willis and Wade regarding their relationship, highlighting the appearance of impropriety. He mandated that Willis could stay on the case only if Wade resigned, which he did shortly after.
The revelations of Willis’ alleged benefit from her romantic involvement with Wade caused a stir in the case, with intimate details of their personal lives being disclosed in court in mid-February.
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