Fulton County's district attorney says Trump election subversion trial should begin October 23
From CNN's Tierney Sneed
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks to the media in Atlanta on August 14 after a grand jury brought back indictments against former President Donald Trump. Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has requested an October 23, 2023, trial date in the election subversion case she’s brought against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his supporters, according to a court filing Thursday.
Willis pointed to a request filed Wednesday by Trump co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro that sought a quick trial under Georgia’s Speedy Trial Act. Willis had told reporters last week when the indictment was returned that she would seek a trial that would begin within the six months.
Trump opposes Willis' proposed timeline, his attorneys said in a filing this afternoon.
Legal experts at the time said that timeline was not plausible, especially as Willis has also indicated she’d like to try the 19 defendants all together. Lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants have previewed the likelihood of pre-trial disputes that will drag the proceedings out. Already three defendants are seeking to move the case to federal court, and the former president is expected to launch a similar bid of his own.
Another sprawling anti-racketeering case brought by Willis suggests that such a timeline is unrealistic. The case, alleging that Jeffrey Williams, the rapper Young Thug, and several of his associates violated Georgia’s RICO law – the key charge in the Trump case – has moved slowly to trial, despite a move by Williams to assert his right to speedy trial.
Jury selection in the case began in January 2023, more than a year and a half the charges were brought. The jury selection remains ongoing and has lasted for more than six months.
Ellie Honig, a CNN legal analyst, said on CNN News Central that while Chesebro has every right to seek a quick trial under the Speedy Trial Act’s expedited timeframe, forcing the other defendants to prepare for a trial in such a short time period may raise constitutional issues. It could lead to possibility that the case’s defendants could be split up – or severed – from the case, Honig said.
12 min ago
2 defendants are left to surrender at Fulton County jail
From CNN's Hannah Rabinowitz
Former President Donald Trump surrendered Thursday at the Fulton County jail, followed by five other co-defendants early Friday. Here's a quick look at where things stand on surrenders in the Georgia 2020 election case:
Total surrendered: 17
Total who still need to surrender: 2
Total with bond deals: 18
Total without announced deals: 1
Remember: The two co-defendants who still have to surrender face a noon ET Friday deadline.
34 min ago
Analysis: Trump's mug shot is a reminder that he is beholden to a process where he cannot control his own fate
From CNN's Stephen Collinson
Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Millions and millions of photographs have been taken of American presidents. But none like this.
Inmate No. P01135809 stares out of the booking photo, his face like stone. It’s impossible to know what Trump is feeling. But the image, taken after his motorcade drove into the Fulton County Jail, does not radiate his trademark bravado. His eyes bore into you. And the seal of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in a top corner is a reminder that Trump, for all his former power, is beholden to a process where he cannot control his own fate.
Trump’s mug shot – stark in its simplicity in a way that must surely grate for an ex-reality star for whom image is everything – is a metaphor for an election in which the potential Republican nominee and possible next president is facing 91 criminal charges across four cases. Trump denies all wrongdoing and is innocent until proven guilty in all cases, including in the racketeering accusations in Georgia related to his bid to overturn the 2020 election.
But in some ways, the mug shot, taken after he surrendered to the authorities on Thursday, represents the inevitable culmination of a life that has stretched and buckled the constraints around the presidency and frequently strained the law. More broadly, for a man who built his legend through paparazzi snaps in the New York gossip columns and who prizes Time magazines bearing his face, the Georgia mug shot, for all its indignity, represents yet another new frontier of notoriety. But for a nation still entangled in recriminations and fury whipped up by Trump, the photograph – which flashed immediately around the world – represents a special kind of tragedy.
Trump was booked on 13 counts stemming from his efforts to reverse Georgia’s 2020 election results — including racketeering, conspiracy charges and soliciting a public official to violate their oath of office.
What happened: The former president, wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, arrived at the Fulton County jail at around 7:30 p.m. ET. After he surrendered, he was placed under arrest and booked on more than a dozen charges. Jail records listed him at 6 foot 3 inches tall and weighing 215 pounds, with blue eyes and blond or strawberry hair. His booking number was P01135809. A mug shot was also taken.
Released on bond: The booking process was completed in little more than 20 minutes because the former president and his lawyers negotiated his consent bond agreement ahead of the surrender. Trump agreed to a $200,000 bond and other release conditions, including not using social media to target the co-defendants and witnesses in the case. Trump covered the cost of the bond by putting 10% toward it and working with a local Atlanta bonding company, sources told CNN.
What Trump said: The former president briefly addressed reporters before boarding his plane to return to New Jersey. He said, “I did nothing wrong,” and described the criminal case against him as “a travesty of justice.” In an interview with the right-wing network Newsmax, he described being at Fulton County jail as "a “terrible experience."
The mug shot: Trump's team had discussed the former president's mug shot prior to his arrival at Fulton County jail, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. Trump ultimately decided he wanted to appear "defiant" in the shot, and purposefully chose not to smile, the sources said.
Fundraising battles: After leaving Atlanta, Trump posted the image of his mug shot on Truth Social and X, formerly known as Twitter, as the campaign sought to fundraise off the arrest. Without referencing the events in Georgia, President Joe Biden's campaign also sent a fundraising email that read, “I think today’s a great day to give to my campaign.”
A new lawyer: Trump and his senior advisers briefly met with his new Georgia lawyer, Steven Sadow, on the plane to Atlanta. Trump replaced his previous lawyer, Drew Findling, just ahead of the surrender. In 2021, Sadow criticized RICO charges as a way for prosecutors to introduce evidence that would otherwise not be admissible during an interview about the potential charges Trump faced in Georgia.
The scene outside: Supporters of the former president lined the street entrance to the jail before Trump arrived. Protesters both in support and against Trump stood with signs. Some were dressed in prison uniforms or were draped in American flags, with some singing “God Bless America.” During the proceeding, protesters were yelling about District Attorney Fani Willis, chanting, “Lock Fani up.”
What happens next: His co-defendants have until noon on Friday to surrender. Willis has also asked for Trump and the other 18 defendants to be arraigned next month. She has requested an October 23 trial date.
1 hr 11 min ago
Pro-Trump lawyer Robert Cheeley surrenders at Fulton County jail
From CNN's Marshall Cohen
Robert Cheeley is seen in this undated photo. (from Robert Cheeley/LinkedIn)
Pro-Trump lawyer Robert Cheeley, who was indicted in the Georgia election subversion case, surrendered at the Fulton County jail around 3 a.m. local time, according to inmate records.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Cheeley last week with 10 state crimes, including violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, perjury, and soliciting a public officer to violate their oath.
After the 2020 election, Cheeley participated in public hearings before Georgia state lawmakers where he and other allies of former President Donald Trump pushed baseless fraud claims. At a Georgia Senate hearing in December 2020, Cheeley showed video that he falsely claimed contained “evidence” of vote-rigging in Atlanta that “should shock the conscience” of Georgians.
1 hr 13 min ago
Trump DOJ official Jeffrey Clark surrenders at Fulton County jail
From CNN's Marshall Cohen
Jeffrey Clark attends a hearing in the US Capitol in June. Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images
Jeffrey Clark, the Trump-era Justice Department official who was indicted in Georgia after trying to use his federal law enforcement powers to overturn the 2020 election, surrendered at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta early Friday.
Clark turned himself in around 1 a.m. local time, according to inmate records.
District Attorney Fani Willis charged Clark last week with two state crimes: violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law and attempting to commit false statements.
After then-President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, Clark drafted a letter, which was ultimately never sent, promoting false claims of voting irregularities and urged Georgia lawmakers to consider throwing out Joe Biden’s legitimate electors.
Clark lobbied Trump to make him the acting attorney general, so he could send the letter and have the Justice Department intervene in the Georgia election. Trump decided not to put Clark in charge after other senior Justice Department officials threatened to resign.
He has denied wrongdoing. After Clark was indicted, a spokesperson for the think tank where he works issued a statement on his behalf, saying, he "was simply doing his job in 2020 and he doesn't deserve to be subjected to this naked political lawfare, especially not by a publicity hound like Willis."
1 hr 13 min ago
Former election supervisor Misty Hampton surrenders
From CNN's Tierney Sneed
Misty Hampton (from Georgia House)
Misty Hampton, a former election supervisor in Coffee County, Georgia, turned herself at the Fulton County jail to be booked on charges brought in the district attorney’s 2020 Georgia election meddling case.
Hampton is accused of participating in a conspiracy to allow supporters of former President Donald Trump to unlawfully access voter data and ballot counting equipment at the Coffee County election office. Hampton also faces the racketeering charge that is central to District Attorney Fani Willis’ case.
1 hr 10 min ago
Trump campaign official Mike Roman surrenders at Fulton County jail
From CNN's Marshall Cohen
Mike Roman is seen in this undated photo. (from Mike Roman/Twitter)
Trump 2020 campaign official Mike Roman, who was indicted in the Georgia election subversion case, surrendered at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta.
Roman turned himself in early Friday morning, according to county inmate records.
District Attorney Fani Willis charged Roman last week with seven state crimes, including violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, conspiracy to commit forgery, and conspiracy to file false documents.
While working for former President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, Roman was involved in unsuccessful efforts to use slates of fake GOP electors to block the certification of candidate Joe Biden’s election victory. During the campaign, Roman promoted baseless claims of massive voter fraud
1 hr 9 min ago
Georgia State Sen. Shawn Still surrenders at Fulton County jail
From CNN's Marshall Cohen
Shawn Still is seen in this undated photo. (from The Georgia General Assembly)
Georgia State. Sen. Shawn Still, who served as a fake elector in 2020 and was charged in the Georgia election subversion case, surrendered at the Fulton County jail, according to county inmate records.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Still with seven state crimes, including violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, forgery, and impersonating a public officer.
Still was one of the 16 Republicans who served as “fake electors” in Georgia and signed paperwork claiming — illegitimately — that former President Donald Trump had carried the state. This was part of the Trump campaign’s plan to subvert the Electoral College process and nullify Joe Biden’s victory.
After the charges were announced, Still’s lawyer Tom Bever said “the evidence at trial will show that Sen. Still is innocent as the day is long” and that “we look forward to our day in court to clear his good name.”
On Thursday, Still became the fourth of Donald Trump’s co-defendants to attempt to move his charges to federal court, saying he was acting at the direction of the former president and others.
Friday deadline: Meanwhile, two of Trump's co-defendants still have to surrender by the noon ET Friday deadline after being charged in the state’s election subversion case. Trump is accused in the indictment of being the head of a “criminal enterprise” that was part of a broad conspiracy to overturn his electoral defeat.
Proposed trial date: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is asking for the trial of all 19 people to begin on October 23, an extremely ambitious schedule. Trump opposes the proposed trial date, his attorneys said this afternoon.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks to the media in Atlanta on August 14 after a grand jury brought back indictments against former President Donald Trump. Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has requested an October 23, 2023, trial date in the election subversion case she’s brought against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his supporters, according to a court filing Thursday.
Willis pointed to a request filed Wednesday by Trump co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro that sought a quick trial under Georgia’s Speedy Trial Act. Willis had told reporters last week when the indictment was returned that she would seek a trial that would begin within the six months.
Trump opposes Willis' proposed timeline, his attorneys said in a filing this afternoon.
Legal experts at the time said that timeline was not plausible, especially as Willis has also indicated she’d like to try the 19 defendants all together. Lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants have previewed the likelihood of pre-trial disputes that will drag the proceedings out. Already three defendants are seeking to move the case to federal court, and the former president is expected to launch a similar bid of his own.
Another sprawling anti-racketeering case brought by Willis suggests that such a timeline is unrealistic. The case, alleging that Jeffrey Williams, the rapper Young Thug, and several of his associates violated Georgia’s RICO law – the key charge in the Trump case – has moved slowly to trial, despite a move by Williams to assert his right to speedy trial.
Jury selection in the case began in January 2023, more than a year and a half the charges were brought. The jury selection remains ongoing and has lasted for more than six months.
Ellie Honig, a CNN legal analyst, said on CNN News Central that while Chesebro has every right to seek a quick trial under the Speedy Trial Act’s expedited timeframe, forcing the other defendants to prepare for a trial in such a short time period may raise constitutional issues. It could lead to possibility that the case’s defendants could be split up – or severed – from the case, Honig said.
Former President Donald Trump surrendered Thursday at the Fulton County jail, followed by five other co-defendants early Friday. Here's a quick look at where things stand on surrenders in the Georgia 2020 election case:
Total surrendered: 17
Total who still need to surrender: 2
Total with bond deals: 18
Total without announced deals: 1
Remember: The two co-defendants who still have to surrender face a noon ET Friday deadline.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Millions and millions of photographs have been taken of American presidents. But none like this.
Inmate No. P01135809 stares out of the booking photo, his face like stone. It’s impossible to know what Trump is feeling. But the image, taken after his motorcade drove into the Fulton County Jail, does not radiate his trademark bravado. His eyes bore into you. And the seal of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in a top corner is a reminder that Trump, for all his former power, is beholden to a process where he cannot control his own fate.
Trump’s mug shot – stark in its simplicity in a way that must surely grate for an ex-reality star for whom image is everything – is a metaphor for an election in which the potential Republican nominee and possible next president is facing 91 criminal charges across four cases. Trump denies all wrongdoing and is innocent until proven guilty in all cases, including in the racketeering accusations in Georgia related to his bid to overturn the 2020 election.
But in some ways, the mug shot, taken after he surrendered to the authorities on Thursday, represents the inevitable culmination of a life that has stretched and buckled the constraints around the presidency and frequently strained the law. More broadly, for a man who built his legend through paparazzi snaps in the New York gossip columns and who prizes Time magazines bearing his face, the Georgia mug shot, for all its indignity, represents yet another new frontier of notoriety. But for a nation still entangled in recriminations and fury whipped up by Trump, the photograph – which flashed immediately around the world – represents a special kind of tragedy.
Trump was booked on 13 counts stemming from his efforts to reverse Georgia’s 2020 election results — including racketeering, conspiracy charges and soliciting a public official to violate their oath of office.
What happened: The former president, wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, arrived at the Fulton County jail at around 7:30 p.m. ET. After he surrendered, he was placed under arrest and booked on more than a dozen charges. Jail records listed him at 6 foot 3 inches tall and weighing 215 pounds, with blue eyes and blond or strawberry hair. His booking number was P01135809. A mug shot was also taken.
Released on bond: The booking process was completed in little more than 20 minutes because the former president and his lawyers negotiated his consent bond agreement ahead of the surrender. Trump agreed to a $200,000 bond and other release conditions, including not using social media to target the co-defendants and witnesses in the case. Trump covered the cost of the bond by putting 10% toward it and working with a local Atlanta bonding company, sources told CNN.
What Trump said: The former president briefly addressed reporters before boarding his plane to return to New Jersey. He said, “I did nothing wrong,” and described the criminal case against him as “a travesty of justice.” In an interview with the right-wing network Newsmax, he described being at Fulton County jail as "a “terrible experience."
The mug shot: Trump's team had discussed the former president's mug shot prior to his arrival at Fulton County jail, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. Trump ultimately decided he wanted to appear "defiant" in the shot, and purposefully chose not to smile, the sources said.
Fundraising battles: After leaving Atlanta, Trump posted the image of his mug shot on Truth Social and X, formerly known as Twitter, as the campaign sought to fundraise off the arrest. Without referencing the events in Georgia, President Joe Biden's campaign also sent a fundraising email that read, “I think today’s a great day to give to my campaign.”
A new lawyer: Trump and his senior advisers briefly met with his new Georgia lawyer, Steven Sadow, on the plane to Atlanta. Trump replaced his previous lawyer, Drew Findling, just ahead of the surrender. In 2021, Sadow criticized RICO charges as a way for prosecutors to introduce evidence that would otherwise not be admissible during an interview about the potential charges Trump faced in Georgia.
The scene outside: Supporters of the former president lined the street entrance to the jail before Trump arrived. Protesters both in support and against Trump stood with signs. Some were dressed in prison uniforms or were draped in American flags, with some singing “God Bless America.” During the proceeding, protesters were yelling about District Attorney Fani Willis, chanting, “Lock Fani up.”
What happens next: His co-defendants have until noon on Friday to surrender. Willis has also asked for Trump and the other 18 defendants to be arraigned next month. She has requested an October 23 trial date.
Robert Cheeley is seen in this undated photo. (from Robert Cheeley/LinkedIn)
Pro-Trump lawyer Robert Cheeley, who was indicted in the Georgia election subversion case, surrendered at the Fulton County jail around 3 a.m. local time, according to inmate records.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Cheeley last week with 10 state crimes, including violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, perjury, and soliciting a public officer to violate their oath.
After the 2020 election, Cheeley participated in public hearings before Georgia state lawmakers where he and other allies of former President Donald Trump pushed baseless fraud claims. At a Georgia Senate hearing in December 2020, Cheeley showed video that he falsely claimed contained “evidence” of vote-rigging in Atlanta that “should shock the conscience” of Georgians.
Jeffrey Clark attends a hearing in the US Capitol in June. Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images
Jeffrey Clark, the Trump-era Justice Department official who was indicted in Georgia after trying to use his federal law enforcement powers to overturn the 2020 election, surrendered at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta early Friday.
Clark turned himself in around 1 a.m. local time, according to inmate records.
District Attorney Fani Willis charged Clark last week with two state crimes: violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law and attempting to commit false statements.
After then-President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, Clark drafted a letter, which was ultimately never sent, promoting false claims of voting irregularities and urged Georgia lawmakers to consider throwing out Joe Biden’s legitimate electors.
Clark lobbied Trump to make him the acting attorney general, so he could send the letter and have the Justice Department intervene in the Georgia election. Trump decided not to put Clark in charge after other senior Justice Department officials threatened to resign.
He has denied wrongdoing. After Clark was indicted, a spokesperson for the think tank where he works issued a statement on his behalf, saying, he "was simply doing his job in 2020 and he doesn't deserve to be subjected to this naked political lawfare, especially not by a publicity hound like Willis."
Misty Hampton (from Georgia House)
Misty Hampton, a former election supervisor in Coffee County, Georgia, turned herself at the Fulton County jail to be booked on charges brought in the district attorney’s 2020 Georgia election meddling case.
Hampton is accused of participating in a conspiracy to allow supporters of former President Donald Trump to unlawfully access voter data and ballot counting equipment at the Coffee County election office. Hampton also faces the racketeering charge that is central to District Attorney Fani Willis’ case.
Mike Roman is seen in this undated photo. (from Mike Roman/Twitter)
Trump 2020 campaign official Mike Roman, who was indicted in the Georgia election subversion case, surrendered at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta.
Roman turned himself in early Friday morning, according to county inmate records.
District Attorney Fani Willis charged Roman last week with seven state crimes, including violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, conspiracy to commit forgery, and conspiracy to file false documents.
While working for former President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, Roman was involved in unsuccessful efforts to use slates of fake GOP electors to block the certification of candidate Joe Biden’s election victory. During the campaign, Roman promoted baseless claims of massive voter fraud
Shawn Still is seen in this undated photo. (from The Georgia General Assembly)
Georgia State. Sen. Shawn Still, who served as a fake elector in 2020 and was charged in the Georgia election subversion case, surrendered at the Fulton County jail, according to county inmate records.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Still with seven state crimes, including violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, forgery, and impersonating a public officer.
Still was one of the 16 Republicans who served as “fake electors” in Georgia and signed paperwork claiming — illegitimately — that former President Donald Trump had carried the state. This was part of the Trump campaign’s plan to subvert the Electoral College process and nullify Joe Biden’s victory.
After the charges were announced, Still’s lawyer Tom Bever said “the evidence at trial will show that Sen. Still is innocent as the day is long” and that “we look forward to our day in court to clear his good name.”
On Thursday, Still became the fourth of Donald Trump’s co-defendants to attempt to move his charges to federal court, saying he was acting at the direction of the former president and others.
