Georgia state justice suspends criminal proceedings against Trump

Photo: Angela Weiss Agence France-Presse Donald Trump's three other criminal trials, the one before the Georgia courts and two at the federal level, however, risk not being able to be held before the vote.

France Media Agency in Washington

Published on June 5

• United States

The Georgia state appeals court on Wednesday stayed criminal proceedings against Donald Trump and his 14 co-defendants for illegal attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 US presidential election until 'until she has ruled on their request for relinquishment of the prosecutor.

This decision de facto postpones until next year the holding of a trial in this case, for which no date had yet been set.

The judge trial, Scott McAfee, had rejected in March the request for withdrawal from the prosecutor, Fani Willis, but demanded a reorganization of his team.

The defendants had appealed. The state appeals court has scheduled its hearing in the case for October 4, with a decision not expected until 2025.

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Judge McAfee concluded that there was insufficient evidence of a “conflict of interest” related to the prosecutor's intimate relationship with an investigator she hired in the case, Nathan Wade.< /p>

But, pointing out “an appearance of inappropriate behavior” and denouncing a “huge lack of judgment” on the part of the prosecutor, the magistrate demanded the withdrawal of the file, either from Fani Willis and his entire team, or Nathan Wade. The latter presented his resignation a few hours later.

Targeted by four separate criminal proceedings, the ex-president and Republican candidate in the November election faced with his democratic successor strives through his multiple appeals to go to trial as late as possible, and in any case after the election.

A New York court found him guilty on May 30 of accounting falsifications intended to hide a payment of $130,000 in order to avoid a sex scandal at the very end of his 2016 presidential campaign, an unprecedented verdict for a former American president. His sentence will be pronounced on July 11.

Donald Trump's three other criminal trials, the one before the Georgia courts and two at the federal level, risk, however, not be able to stand before the vote.