Georgia Judge Declines to Revoke Bond for Harrison Floyd, a Co-Defendant of Donald Trump in Election Racketeering Case
A Georgia judge refused Tuesday to revoke the bond of Harrison Floyd, one of Donald Trump’s co-defendants in the election racketeering case. The refusal stemmed from what prosecutors described as threatening and intimidating social media posts about witnesses in the case. This ruling by Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee stated the posts were not threats in the traditional sense, despite mentions of the election worker, Ruby Freeman. McAfee argued that the comments about Gabriel Sterling and Jenna Ellis may have been a technical violation of the agreement against communicating with witnesses. He clarified that not all violations mean the bond should be revoked and Floyd should be jailed.
While hearing arguments on the request to revoke Floyd’s bond, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis motioned that Floyd should be jailed because of social media posts and broadcast interviews that she said violated his agreement not to interfere with witnesses. floyd’s lawyers argued that her requests “lacks any good faith basis.” However, prosecutors and defense lawyers huddled after the decision to draft tougher restrictions on what Floyd can say about the case.
This hearing served as a cautionary reminder of what defendants can say about pending cases. Special attention was given to Trump’s appeal for two gag orders in other trials and the significance it holds against free speech.
Floyd’s lawyers also argued that none of his social media posts was objectionable and that they were a form of political speech. They contended that Floyd’s comments were not threats of intimidation. On the contrary, the postings reiterated his claim of innocence and aimed to defend publicly.
The refusal to revoke Floyd’s bond prompted strong statements from the district attorney, Fani Willis, who argued that Floyd had violated the conditions. Ellis was adamant that the posts were meant to intimidate and harass her. Witnesses reported feeling threatened or intimidated by the posts. Willis urged the judge to jail Floyd pending trial to ensure a fair trial of all the defendants in the case and to keep the witnesses safe.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia judge refuses to revoke bond for Trump co-defendant Harrison Floyd
