Fulton County DA seeks March 4 trial date in Trump case

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) is requesting a March 4 start date in the trial of former President Trump and 18 co-defendants over an alleged plot to subvert the state’s 2020 election results and keep Trump in power.

Willis also proposed that their arraignments occur during the week of Sept. 5, writing that the defendants would be notified of their arraignment date at least five days in advance, according to a new court filing. She said dates would not conflict with Trump’s other legal matters.

“In light of Defendant Donald John Trump’s other criminal and civil matters pending in the courts of our sister sovereigns, the State of Georgia proposes certain deadlines that do not conflict with these other courts’ already-scheduled hearings and trial dates,” Willis wrote in the filing.

The trial’s start date will ultimately be decided by a judge.

In Trump’s New York hush money case, a trial is set for March 25. The federal case probing his retention and alleged mishandling of classified documents is set to begin May 20 in Florida.

A date has not yet been set for the federal trial in D.C. over his actions after losing the 2020 presidential election, but Special Counsel Jack Smith has proposed a start date of Jan. 2. 

When announcing the charges Monday, Willis said her office would request a trial start date within the next six months and intended to try all 19 co-defendants together, signaling that her office would not waste time.

“We do want to move this case along,” she said. 

Trump faces 13 new charges in Georgia alleging the former president violated the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) and a number of other criminal statutes in Georgia. Those charges include solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, as well as several conspiracy charges relating to filing fraudulent documents, including forgery and making false statements.

The indictment outlines more than 160 acts that prosecutors allege Trump and 18 other lawyers, aides, allies and affiliates committed in furtherance of that conspiracy.

Updated at 3:55 p.m.