In a serious blow to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, Judge Scott McAfee of the Superior Court of Georgia ruled that former President Donald Trump will not be required to stand trial in October alongside co-defendants Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell. The defendants had filed a “speedy-trial” motion for which McAfee granted relief by severing both Chesebro and Powell from Trump and the remaining sixteen defendants.
This ruling is seen as a major setback for the prosecution against Trump, whose legal team has now waived any rights they may have had to a speedy trial motion, and have also filed several motions to dismiss the charges against him.
The news was met with shock and surprise on social media, where ABC News reported Kyle Becker, host of “Relentless Podcast,” tweeting: “This is not a good day for the Fulton County DA.” As this case continues to unfold in court proceedings, many are eager to see how it will ultimately affect the future of former President Donald J. Trump.
“Fani Willis wasn’t there, but you got to imagine… she’s throwing things against the wall based on this hearing,” ABC News Executive Editorial Producer John Santucci told audiences.
He added that the ruling is “a great win for Donald Trump and others that did not want to be part of this speedy trial case.”
“I can tell you, sitting here with you, just texting with some of the attorneys involved in the other defendants, celebrating ‘Yay, victory!’” Santucci added.
“This is not a good day for the Fulton County DA.”
“Fani Willis wasn’t there, but you got to imagine… she’s throwing things against the wall based on this hearing.”
“A great win for Donald Trump and others that did not want to be part of this speedy trial case.”
“I can tell… pic.twitter.com/cfhiw7DpFS
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) September 14, 2023
In motions for the former president, Trump’s attorneys reportedly pressed a similar legal argument to one employed by former Trump attorney, now co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro. The attorneys representing him called the indictment from Wills “a conspiratorial bouillabaisse consisting of purported criminal acts, daily activities, and constitutionally protected speech.”
Chesebro’s team asked Judge McAfee to dismiss the entire case on the basis of the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, arguing that the states cannot rule in controversies that lie in federal authority or “entirely within…
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