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.
Go deeper: Georgia appeals court will review decision that kept Fani Willis on Trump case
Editor's note: Updated with a statement from Trump's attorney.
