An appeals court is set to potentially hear arguments in October regarding the appeal of a lower court ruling that allowed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue prosecuting the election interference case against former President Donald Trump. The Georgia Court of Appeals has docketed the appeals filed by nine defendants in the case, with a tentative oral argument scheduled for October 4. The court is expected to rule by mid-March, indicating that the election interference case is unlikely to go to trial before the November general election, where Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.
The appeal will be decided by a three-judge panel of the intermediate appeals court, consisting of Judge Trenton Brown, Judge Todd Markle, and Judge Benjamin Land. Following the panel's ruling, the losing side may seek an appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.
In August, a county grand jury indicted Trump and 18 others, alleging their involvement in an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. While four defendants have pleaded guilty, Trump and the remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty. This case is one of four criminal cases against Trump.
Trump and eight other defendants had attempted to have Willis and her office removed from the case, citing a conflict of interest due to her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. However, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled in March that no conflict of interest existed to warrant Willis's removal. Despite this, McAfee granted a request for an appeal to the Court of Appeals.
McAfee expressed concerns over the relationship between Willis and Wade, stating that there were questions about the truthfulness of their testimony regarding the timing of their relationship. He allowed Willis to remain on the case only if Wade resigned, which he did shortly after the ruling.
The case faced turmoil when allegations surfaced that Willis had benefited improperly from her relationship with Wade, leading to personal details being revealed in court. Trump's lead attorney in the Georgia case, Steve Sadow, stated that their team is prepared to argue for the dismissal of the case and the disqualification of DA Willis due to alleged misconduct.
