Former US President Trump was charged in Georgia with attempted election interference. The judge responsible has now thrown out several charges. What does this mean for the process and for Trump’s campaign?
Before the trial for alleged attempted election fraud against former US President Donald Trump even begins in Georgia, the judge responsible has declared several charges invalid.
The prosecution did not provide enough details about the alleged crime, said Judge Scott McAfee’s written reasoning. However, he emphasized that this in no way means that the charges against Trump will be dropped.
Specifically, the dropped charges involve prosecutors’ allegations that Trump and the other defendants tried to get officials to violate their oaths of office.
Missing information in the indictment
Emory University School of Law lawyer John Acevedo told the AP news agency that the indictment contained more than enough facts, but the prosecutor forgot to state which law was violated.
Trump and 18 other defendants were charged in Georgia in August last year with charges of attempted election fraud, making false statements, submitting false documents and attempting to incite violation of the oath of office. In order to emerge victorious in Georgia, Trump asked election director Brad Raffensperger in a phone call to “find” the nearly 12,000 votes needed.
Impeachment particularly important for Democrats
The Trump indictment in Georgia is of great importance for the Democrats – also because he would not be able to pardon himself in the event of a conviction if he were elected US President in November.
For Trump and his lawyers, the judge’s decision is only a temporary victory, says Trump expert and New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman on CNN.
Anything Trump and his team can do to destroy the impression of legal authority is good for them. Legally this is only a temporary victory, but politically it helps them.
Process is further delayed
The trial, which was supposed to begin on August 5th, will be further delayed, according to Georgia lawyer Amy Lee Copeland on CNN. She explains that the case will continue – the public prosecutor’s office can re-word its charges. “This will delay the process, but it will not dismiss the lawsuit,” explains the lawyer.
Despite everything, the trial against Trump in Georgia could still collapse in the end. This week, Judge McAfee wants to decide whether the responsible prosecutor, Fani Willis, should be removed from the case. She is said to have had an extramarital love affair with the special investigator in charge and was therefore in a conflict of interest. If the prosecutor is disqualified, her successor could theoretically decide whether the case against Trump will continue or not.
Claudia Sarre, ARD Washington, tagesschau, March 14, 2024 6:51 a.m