Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on March 1, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images
Published June 4, 2024
A Georgia appeals court set Oct. 4 as the tentative date for oral arguments over the appeal to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from overseeing former President Trump’s 2020 Georgia election case, according to notices obtained by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
Why it matters: If that date holds, it’s unlikely that a decision on whether Willis can stay on the case will be resolved before the 2024 election.
Driving the news: The Georgia Court of Appeals court docketed the appeal on Monday and scheduled the hearing for October.
- The Atlanta-Journal Constitution first reported on the tentative hearing date.
What they’re saying: “We look forward to presenting argument before [the panel of judges] on why this case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for the trial court’s acknowledged ‘odor of mendacity’ misconduct in violation of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct,” Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead defense counsel, said in a statement.
- The district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
The big picture: A Georgia appeals court agreed last month to review a lower court ruling that allowed Willis to stay on the case.
- Trump and multiple co-defendants have argued that Willis’ relationship with then-special prosecutor Nathan Wade caused a conflict of interest. Willis has blasted the accusations as politically motivated.
- The appeals court’s decision to hear Trump’s appeal — and the tentative October trial date — is a win for the former president who has tried to push for delays across his four criminal indictments.
READ FULL ARTICLE
SOURCE: www.axios.com
RELATED: Trump’s appeal hearing on Fani Willis set for October, likely pushing trial past election
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower, Friday, May 31, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Published June 4, 2024
The Georgia Court of Appeals has tentatively scheduled oral arguments on Donald Trump’s appeal of the Fani Willis disqualification ruling for October, making it almost certain that Trump will not see trial in the Georgia election case before the 2024 election.
The date for oral arguments on the issue is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 4, according to a docket notice that was sent to defense counsel in the case.
“A calendar will be sent to counsel of record confirming the exact date of oral argument,” the notice says.
Trump and his co-defendants are appealing the ruling that allowed DA Willis to remain on the case after it was discovered she had a romantic relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade. He resigned from the case as a result of the ruling.
The judge in the case, Scott McAfee, has previously vowed to keep the case moving forward while the issue is on appeal.
