The highest court in Georgia has unanimously rejected a request by former President Donald Trump to block the district attorney from prosecuting him for his actions following the 2020 election.
Last week, Trump’s attorneys filed a petition with the Georgia Supreme Court, asking for intervention and arguing that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office should be barred from seeking charges. They also requested the dismissal of a special grand jury report connected to the investigation.
Willis has been conducting an investigation since early 2021 to determine if Trump and his allies violated any laws in their attempt to overturn his narrow election loss in Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden. She has indicated that she might pursue charges from a grand jury next month.
In their five-page ruling on Monday, the state Supreme Court acknowledged that Trump has a similar petition pending in Fulton County Superior Court. The justices decided not to overstep the lower court and stated that Trump had not demonstrated any evidence of being denied fair access to ordinary channels.
Regarding Trump’s attempt to block the prosecutors, the justices concluded that his legal filing lacked the necessary facts and law to warrant Willis’s disqualification at this time.
A spokesperson for Willis declined to comment, while Trump attorney Drew Findling did not respond immediately to phone and text messages.
Trump’s Legal Team Seeks Resolution in Unusual Filing
Last week, Trump’s legal team made dual filings in Fulton County Superior Court, an unusual move necessitated by the tight time frame. With two new regular grand juries in session, it is expected that one of them will be assigned to hear the case.
This recent motion echoes a similar request made by Trump’s attorneys back in March. They had asked Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who presided over the special grand jury, to recuse himself and allow another judge to handle the Trump team’s claims. However, McBurney retained jurisdiction over the case and has yet to issue a ruling.
Left with no other recourse due to the prolonged inaction of the supervising judge and the impending indictment by the district attorney, Trump’s lawyers have now turned to the state Supreme Court. They argue that their hands are tied and firmly request intervention from the high court.
The investigation conducted by District Attorney Fani Willis was initiated shortly after Trump’s controversial call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021. During the call, Trump allegedly suggested that Raffensperger assist him in “finding” the necessary votes to overturn his election loss in the state.
