Judge rejects request to try all Trump Georgia defendants together next month
by Zach Schonfeld and Ella Lee - 09/14/23 9:41 AM ET
A state judge on Thursday rejected prosecutors’ request to try all 19 defendants together in the Georgia 2020 election interference case next month.
“The Court joins the skepticism expressed by several federal courts that denying severance always ensures efficiency, especially in ‘mega trials’ such as this,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote in an order.
McAfee’s ruling means former President Trump will not be tried in October alongside at least two of his co-defendants who invoked their right to a speedy trial.
It marks a major blow to District Attorney Fani Willis (D), who repeatedly urged McAfee to keep the defendants together and try them at the same time.
Though McAfee did not set a trial date for Trump, his ruling sets a motions deadline of Dec. 1, which would come before any eventual trial. Trump and his 18 co-defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the combined 41 charges they face.
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https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4204049-judge-rejects-request-to-try-all-trump-georgia-defendants-together-next-month/
