An appeals court has paused the Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and others while it reviews a judge’s decision allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to stay involved in the case.
The Georgia Court of Appeals issued an order on Wednesday that prevents Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee from proceeding with pretrial motions as originally planned, pending the appeal.
Even before this pause, it was unlikely that the case would go to trial before the November general election, where Trump is expected to be the Republican presidential nominee. This delay further solidifies that likelihood.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (Via Harley Simmons/Getty Images)
The appeals court has scheduled a tentative date of October 4 for oral arguments, if requested, and will have until mid-March to issue a ruling. The losing side can then appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.
A spokesperson for Willis declined to comment on the appeals court’s decision.
In August, a Fulton County grand jury indicted Trump and 18 others, alleging they were involved in a large-scale effort to unlawfully overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Four defendants have already pleaded guilty as part of plea agreements with prosecutors, but Trump and the remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty. This case is one of four criminal cases against Trump.
