The Gist: Attorneys for former president Donald Trump are taking unprecedented measures to challenge a potential indictment in Fulton County relating to election interference. They are calling for the disqualification of District Attorney Fani Willis, arguing that her investigation is biased, and are seeking to nullify the findings of a special purpose grand jury that heard from 75 witnesses over an eight-month period.
What Happened? Lawyers for Trump, Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg, and Jennifer Little, filed a petition before the Georgia Supreme Court on Thursday. The attorneys are pressing for an immediate stop to all ongoing legal proceedings emerging from the special purpose grand jury’s investigation. This includes any deliberation on a possible indictment against Trump for alleged election meddling in the 2020 presidential race. The legal team acknowledges that the state Supreme Court has never agreed to such an extraordinary appeal in its four decades of jurisdiction.
Why It Matters? The lawyers claim that due to the extraordinary nature of this case and the alleged irregularities in the processes, Trump’s case should be seen as an exception. The attorneys assert that Trump is being singled out due to his previous status as president, causing an unfair bias against him. They argue that if the court does not intervene, then Trump’s case could set a dangerous precedent.
What’s Next? The presiding judge of the special grand jury, Judge Robert McBurney, has not yet responded to the motion.
Meanwhile, DA Willis has indicated that she might seek an indictment between July 31st and Aug. 18th. This leaves Trump’s team in a precarious position, sandwiched between the judge’s perceived inactivity and the district attorney’s impending indictment.
Trump’s attorneys also submitted a similar motion in Fulton Superior Court on Friday as a precautionary measure. Willis and McBurney are accused of overstepping their procedural bounds and violating the rights of those under investigation. Trump’s team argues that this casts a dark shadow over the entire investigative process.
On the Other Side: Willis’ office has countered previous arguments from Trump’s team, saying their calls for dismissal are not valid due to lack of standing, untimeliness, and other procedural issues. The office points out that the investigation has not yet resulted in any criminal charges against Trump. If it does, Trump would have the ability to pursue multiple legal remedies within the justice system.
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