Staff Reports
Georgia’s courtroom drama just got a bit more theatrical with the state’s Court of Appeals scheduling a December 5th hearing, adding another layer of suspense to the ongoing saga against former President Donald Trump. The lower court’s proceedings against Trump, which have been conveniently paused, won’t resume until after the November general election. It’s almost like the left is penning a soap opera cliffhanger, just in time to keep Trump distracted from his presidential campaign.
Yes, three presumably impartial judges—Trenton Brown, Todd Markle, and Benjamin Land—will be the arbiters of this latest episode. They have until mid-March to issue their ruling, which gives both sides plenty of time to drum up the drama before likely taking it for an encore performance at the Georgia Supreme Court.
I don feel like Americans are getting their due process in this case. "Appeals court won’t hear arguments on Fani Willis’ role in Georgia Trump case until after election #DonaldTrump #Supremecourt #Appellatecourt #Presidentialelectionhttps://t.co/NnyD5SBWIB
— klmolie (@sechristk1955) July 17, 2024
In the meantime, Fulton County DA Fani Willis is clinging to her last shred of credibility after a grand jury’s indictment in August. Trump and 18 others were accused of masterminding an elaborate plot to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. While a few defendants have taken plea deals, Trump has stood firm with a not guilty plea, maintaining his routine role as antagonist to the political establishment.
It’s part of a growing pattern: once again, Trump finds himself at the center of multiple criminal cases—each one teetering on the edge of collapse. Just this week, a federal judge in Florida tossed a case regarding Trump’s handling of classified documents, much to the chagrin of special counsel Jack Smith. In New York, Trump’s hush money case was postponed indefinitely after the Supreme Court affirmed former presidents’ broad immunity. This ruling is expected to cause significant delays in a separate federal case accusing Trump of plotting to overturn his electoral loss to Biden.
To add more spice to this judicial soap opera, Trump and eight others are pushing to have Willis removed from the case. They allege her romantic escapades with special prosecutor Nathan Wade have tainted her professional objectivity. Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee found no disqualifying conflict of interest but did note the “appearance of impropriety.” McAfee allowed Willis to stay on condition that Wade exit the stage—a request Wade fulfilled within hours by submitting his resignation.
Willis’ courtroom cameos with Wade have significantly shaken up the proceedings, with details of their personal lives spilling into the courtroom like an unending tabloid headline. One can’t help but wonder if the next twist in Georgia’s legal circus will play out more like a well-scripted drama than a serious legal matter.
