Trump Administration Requests Oral Arguments in Appeal Against DA Willis

The legal team for Donald Trump has requested oral arguments be heard in October’s appeal regarding whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed as the chief prosecutor in the election interference case against the former president and 14 others.

Last week, the Georgia Court of Appeals halted the case and scheduled a hearing for October 4 to consider the appeal of a lower court’s ruling allowing Willis to remain on the case. This request for oral arguments is uncommon, as the appeals court typically decides cases based solely on legal briefs, as reported by the Washington Examiner reported.

Steve Sadow, lead defense counsel for Trump, stated that oral arguments would provide clarity on why Willis should be disqualified. Sadow said in a statement to multiple outlets, including Newsweek, “President Trump has filed his request for oral argument in the Georgia Court of Appeals, currently calendared for October. We believe oral argument will assist the Court by highlighting and clarifying the reasons why the case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for her misconduct.”

According to the Examiner, the court grants requests for oral arguments 32% to 41% of the time.

In Monday’s filing, Trump accused Willis of conflict of interest and “forensic misconduct,” citing a speech she gave at a historically black church on Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. The filing argued that the speech constituted “extrajudicial speech” and injected race and religious elements into the case, potentially influencing the jury pool.

The Georgia Court of Appeals must rule on the appeal by March, with the possibility of further appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court for the losing side.