One of the novelties in the trial of Donald Trump in Georgia, where he is charged with 13 crimes related to conspiracy to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election in this state, is that the trial is taking place in front of television cameras. Expectations were therefore high that the former US president who pleaded “not guilty” – as he did in the three trials in New York, Florida and Washington – would live before the whole world. But Trump chose to send his written statement to the court, opting out of next Wednesday’s hearing, September 6. The television cameras will have to wait for the verdict, still without a fixed date.
In the other cases, Trump’s arrest took place immediately before the first court appearance — where the defendants must plead guilty or not to the crimes they are accused of. In Georgia, however, the procedure is different. The former president turned himself in last week at a Fulton County jail, where he was entitled to the first police photo. He was released within twenty minutes because his lawyers had previously negotiated a bail of 200,000 euros.
The first court appearance, where the defendants will formally hear the charges, was scheduled for September 6 by Judge Scott McAfee. But the state allows the defendants — eighteen in addition to Trump in this trial — to participate in the hearing remotely or not participate at all. The former president chose the latter option and sent his statement of “not guilty” in writing.
“I hereby waive any formal charges and affirm my statement of NOT GUILT,” Trump wrote that in the two-page document he sent to the court on Thursday. The former president clarified that he had discussed the allegations with his attorney, Steven H. Sadow: “I fully understand the nature of the crimes I am accused of”he indicated, waiving the right to attend Wednesday’s hearing.
A lot can happen before the trial. Two of Trump’s co-defendants called for a speedy trial, one of which was set for October. However, Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis argues that all defendants should be tried together — the prosecutor’s idea is to pressure one to denounce the other — and is asking that everyone in court from that date will respond. Something that Trump’s defense refuses, because she has asked for a separate trial in the hope of delaying the proceedings as much as possible.
In addition, there are defendants who claim that they should only be tried in federal court because they followed orders from the president. One of them is former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, who presented his arguments before a judge on Monday. It has not yet made a decision. The former president must make this request himself, hoping to win the 2024 election and cancel the investigation or eventually forgive himself. That is impossible if the process remains in the courts in Georgia. Also, federal courts are barred from television cameras, which would protect Trump from a public trial.
Source: DN
