Donald Trump Pleads Not Guilty In Georgia Election Case

The former president waived his right to appear at his arraignment for charges he and 18 co-defendants tried to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.
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Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges related to efforts by him and his 18 co-defendants to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Trump was initially expected to appear at his arraignment on Sept. 6 at the Fulton County Superior Court, where he would enter a plea for the 13 felony charges he faces in a massive indictment handed earlier this month.

According to a filing released by Trump and his attorney, Steven Sadow, the former president stated that he pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived his right to be present at his formal arraignment. Trump identified himself in the filing as president despite not holding the title since losing the 2020 election.

Trump turned himself in at Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24 after District Attorney Fani Willis set an Aug. 25 deadline for all co-defendants to surrender to authorities. The indictment handed by Willis’ office accuses Trump and his allies of carrying a broad “criminal enterprise” meant to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results and keep Trump in power. Among the charges Trump faces include racketeering and forgery.

Willis has asked for an Oct. 23 trial start date for all 19 people charged in the case after co-defendant and Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro demanded a “speedy trial” a day earlier. The district attorney’s office is now in legal negotiations with the defendants on the topic of trying everyone together.

Trump’s attorneys have filed a motion opposing Willis’ attempt to try all 19 co-defendants at once and have said they intend to move to have the former president’s case severed from the others.

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