Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, presiding over the RICO case involving former President Donald Trump in Georgia, has granted several motions, including a delay for pretrial motions for key defendants such as Mark Meadows.
As reported by The Washington Examiner, the extension, moving the pretrial motions from Jan. 8 to Feb. 5, applies to Meadows, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, and former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer.
Meadows, set to appear before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, seeks to transfer his case to federal court, challenging a September ruling by U.S. District Judge Steve Jones. Jones concluded that Meadows overstepped his role by directly engaging with Trump’s campaign in efforts to contest his loss to President Joe Biden in Georgia.
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Similarly, Clark and Shafer’s attempts to move their cases to federal court were denied by Jones, who argued that their actions fell outside the scope of their federal offices.
The motivation for seeking a federal venue may be rooted in the desire for a more impartial jury pool and avoiding televised proceedings, common in Fulton County courts.
Depending on Meadows’ appeal outcome, the losing party may seek a review by the full 11th Circuit or potentially escalate the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court. Notably, Trump, initially considering a federal court transfer, opted to remain in McAfee’s court.
Out of the 19 defendants charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, four have accepted plea deals. The remaining cases are scheduled for trial in August 2024, with the judge hinting at a possible division into two groups.
In a separate development, Georgia’s state Supreme Court declined to approve rules for a new commission aimed at disciplining and removing state prosecutors, including Willis. Critics accuse Willis of political motivations in prosecuting Trump.
The justices expressed reservations about regulating district attorneys’ duties beyond the legal realm, leading to a decision to neither approve nor disapprove.
Some Georgia Republicans, dissatisfied with Willis’s actions, want the commission to proceed despite the court’s stance. Houston Gaines, a Republican state representative, believes the legislature could bypass court approval, allowing the commission to hold prosecutors accountable for alleged misconduct.
“This commission has been years in the making, and now it has its appointees, rules, and regulations ready to go,” said Gaines, indicating that resolution of the court issue could enable the commission to start its operations as early as January.
The Georgia state Supreme Court’s reluctance to approve the rules for the commission adds uncertainty to the fate of prosecutors like Fani Willis. Houston Gaines, a key proponent of the commission, anticipates the legislature bypassing court approval, asserting that this delay impedes holding rogue prosecutors accountable.
As legal battles unfold, the intricate web surrounding Trump’s RICO case raises questions about the balance between judicial power and executive action, further fueling debates over the intersection of law and politics in the Peach State.
