Fulton County’s District Attorney Fani Willis (D) pushed for former President Donald Trump's case to be held together with his 18 co-defendants.
The Wednesday announcement comes as attempts have been put into place to separate the case into multiple trials.
Willis insists Trump, Georgia defendants be tried together despite deep doubts https://t.co/b4LjI32anm
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) September 13, 2023
“The State requests this Court to keep all defendants together for trial … until the Defendants have presented to this Court their basis for severance,” Willis wrote.
"Trying the 19 defendants together is a stance Willis has firmly held since she announced sweeping racketeering charges in the case, where Trump and numerous allies are accused of interfering in Georgia’s 2020 election results to keep the former president in power. Trump lost the state to then-candidate Joe Biden," the Hill noted in the report.
Prosecutors charging former President Donald Trump and 18 others over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia are calling for defendants to be tried in a joint trial, citing a need for fairness and efficiency.https://t.co/3iq802utCP
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 14, 2023
"Holding several lengthy trials rather than one joint trial would 'create an enormous strain on the judicial resources' of the county superior court and may give favor to defendants tried later, who would have the advantage of seeing the state's evidence and arguments ahead of time, prosecutors wrote in a filing obtained by multiple outlets," the Washington Examiner reported.
"After a grand jury handed up an indictment in the multi-defendant case last month, District Attorney Fani Willis said she wanted to have a joint trial," the report added.
More Here: https://t.co/Z56GbiRHSF
— Scripps News (@scrippsnews) September 14, 2023
"Trump filed the speedy trial waiver first, with Willis' office later filing a brief arguing for a joint trial due to efficiency and fairness concerns. She says multiple, drawn-out trials would 'create an enormous strain' on the courts and her office and give defendants who wait an advantage," Fox 13 reported.
"Several other defendants filed similar waivers of their speedy trial rights on Wednesday, with some of them saying they won't be ready by next month," it noted.
The upcoming trial is in addition to other trials Trump is facing over indictments in Washington and Florida.
The multiple trial dates could have an impact on the GOP primaries as well, with Trump potentially at trial during key primary dates in Georgia and beyond.
Willis may have won the first round but more is still to come in the unfolding of the latest in the Trump legal battle.
