Former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants in the Georgia racketeering case have all pleaded not guilty and waived their right to an in-person arraignment that had been scheduled to take place this week. Trump and his allies are accused of illegally attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in that state.
The judge overseeing the case denied requests Wednesday from two of the 19 defendants to be tried alone. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled that lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, who both filed demands for a speedy trial, would be tried together starting on Oct. 23.
Now the question is whether the remaining 17 defendants, including Trump, will also be tried together starting on that date, as requested by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“It just seems a bit unrealistic to think we can handle all 19 in 40 days. That’s my initial reaction,” McAfee said at Wednesday’s hearing. The judge indicated he would make a decision on when to try the rest of the defendants by next Thursday. Georgia prosecutors say they expect the trial to take four months, not including jury selection, and plan to call at least 150 witnesses.
While some of the defendants have sought to speed up the trial, others, like former Trump campaign lawyer Ray Stallings Smith, have indicated they won't be ready to go to court in October. Some, like former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, are seeking a legal advantage by trying to move the case from state court to federal court.
"The legal maneuvering that has begun in the three weeks since the indictment was returned underscores the logistical complexity inherent in such a sprawling indictment with so many defendants," the Associated Press reported.
The already elaborate case is expected to get only more complex as proceedings move forward. Here’s where the 19 defendants stand so far:
Donald Trump, former U.S. president
Charges: 13 counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
• Filing false documents
• False statements and writings
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Trump filed a motion to sever his case from any co-defendant who wants a speedy trial; notified McAfee that he "may" seek to move his case to federal court; awaiting McAfee's Fulton County trial schedule.
Government and campaign officials
Jeffrey Clark, former Justice Department official
Charges: Two counts
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Criminal attempt to commit false statements and writings
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones set a Sept. 18 hearing at the federal courthouse in Atlanta for Clark's bid to move his case from state court to federal court; awaiting McAfee's trial schedule.
Misty Hampton, Coffee County elections supervisor
Charges: Seven counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit election fraud
• Conspiracy to commit computer theft
• Conspiracy to commit computer trespass
• Conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy
• Conspiracy to defraud the state
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff
Charges: Two counts
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Solicitation of violation of oath by public officer
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Meadows testified in court on Aug. 28 in an effort to move his case from state court to federal court. Judge Jones did not immediately rule on the request and is expected to make a decision soon. If he rules that Meadows can move his case to federal court, remaining defendants like Trump could potentially follow suit, which could upend Willis's criminal case.
Michael Roman, Republican strategist
Charges: Seven counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Trump’s legal team post-election
Kenneth Chesebro, attorney
Charges: Seven counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: On Sept. 6, McAfee denied Chesebro's request for his case to be severed from Sidney Powell's. He ruled that both defendants will be tried together starting Oct. 23 in response to their demands for a speedy trial.
John Eastman, Trump’s former lawyer
Charges: Nine counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
• Filing false documents
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Eastman filed a motion to sever his case from any co-defendant who wants a speedy trial; awaiting McAfee's trial schedule.
Jenna Ellis, attorney
Charges: Two counts:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Rudy Giuliani, Trump's former personal lawyer
Charges: 13 counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer
• False statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Sidney Powell, attorney
Charges: Seven counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit election fraud
• Conspiracy to commit computer theft
• Conspiracy to commit computer trespass
• Conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy
• Conspiracy to defraud the state
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: On Sept. 6, McAfee denied Powell's request for her case to be severed from Kenneth Chesebro's. He ruled that both defendants will be tried together starting Oct. 23 in response to their demands for a speedy trial.
Ray Stallings Smith, attorney for Trump’s 2020 campaign in Georgia
Charges: 12 counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer
• False statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Filed a motion for the court to sever the defendants into "manageable groups" and says he won't be prepared for an October trial; awaiting McAfee's trial schedule.
Georgia operators and Trump supporters
Robert Cheeley, attorney based in Georgia
Charges: 10 counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
• Solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer
• False statements and writings
• Perjury
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Harrison Floyd, Black Voices for Trump organizer
Charges: 3 counts
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings
• Influencing witnesses
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Scott Hall, Fulton County GOP poll watcher
Charges: Seven counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit election fraud
• Conspiracy to commit computer theft
• Conspiracy to commit computer trespass
• Conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy
• Conspiracy to defraud the state
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Trevian Kutti, publicist
Charges: 3 counts
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings
• Influencing witnesses
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Stephen Lee, police chaplain
Charges: 5 counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Criminal attempt to commit influencing witnesses
• Conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings
• Influencing witnesses
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Awaiting McAfee's trial schedule
Alleged participants in fake electors scheme
Cathleen Latham, Coffee County GOP chair
Charges: 11 counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Impersonating a public officer
• Forgery in the first degree
• False statements and writings
• Criminal attempt to commit filing false documents
• Conspiracy to commit election fraud
• Conspiracy to commit computer theft
• Conspiracy to commit computer trespass
• Conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy
• Conspiracy to defraud the state
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Judge Jones set a Sept. 20 hearing at the federal courthouse in Atlanta for Latham's effort to move her case from state court to federal court; awaiting McAfee's trial schedule.
David Shafer, chairman of Georgia GOP
Charges: Eight counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Impersonating a public officer
• Forgery in the first degree
• False statements and writings
• Criminal attempt to commit filing false documents
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Jones set a Sept. 20 hearing at the federal courthouse in Atlanta for Shafer's motion to move his case from state court to federal court; awaiting McAfee's trial schedule.
Shawn Still, Georgia Republican state senator
Charges: Seven counts, including:
• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Impersonating a public officer
• Forgery in the first degree
• False statements and writings
• Criminal attempt to commit filing false documents
Plea: Not guilty; waived in-person arraignment
Case status: Jones set a Sept. 18 hearing at the federal courthouse in Atlanta for Still's motion to move his case from state court to federal court; awaiting McAfee's trial schedule.