Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis filed a motion last Friday to schedule the trial date for the 2020 election interference case, the Associated Press reported.
In her filing, Willis requested a start date of August 5, 2024, explaining that the proposed date would balance potential delays from Donald Trump’s other criminal trials while ensuring the right to a speedy trial for the other defendants in the Georgia case.
Ultimately, the decision to schedule the trial will be up to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.
Steve Sadow, the former president’s lead attorney for the Fulton County case, submitted a filing opposing Willis’ request and asked Judge McAfee to schedule a hearing on the proposed trial date.
Starting the trial on August 5, 2024, would mean that Trump would not appear in court until after the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Fani Willis previously said that the trial could last “many months,” meaning that if it does start on August 5, it could still be going on during the November General Election.
Currently, the federal trial into Trump’s election interference is scheduled to begin on March 4, 2024, in Washington DC. The New York trial related to the hush money allegations is scheduled to begin three weeks later on March 25.
The federal trial related to the classified documents Trump retained after leaving office is set to start on May 20 in Florida, however, that trial is likely to be delayed.
Trump, along with 18 others, was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury in August on multiple counts of fraud and racketeering. Already, four of Trump’s co-defendants have reached deals with prosecutors and pleaded guilty, including former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis and attorney Sidney Powell.
In her filing on Friday, Willis also asked the judge to set the final plea date for June 21. She also asked the judge not to consider further requests to sever any defendant’s case until after the final plea date.
