Former President Donald Trump has entered a not guilty plea to criminal charges relating to his attempts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election in Georgia. Additionally, he has waived his right to appear at his arraignment next week. The arraignment for Trump’s 13 felony charges is scheduled for September 6th at 9:30 a.m. ET in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta.
In a court filing, Trump stated, “Understanding my rights, I do hereby freely and voluntarily waive my right to be present at my arraignment on the Indictment and my right to have it read to me in open court.”
Despite the charges, Trump remains the favored candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. However, he is facing multiple charges in three other criminal cases, including a racketeering case involving his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and other Republican state party officials. The trial dates for these cases coincide with the election campaign.
Trump and his 18 co-defendants in the racketeering case will also be arraigned in Atlanta on September 6th. Giuliani’s arraignment is scheduled for 9:45 a.m., while the other defendants will be arraigned at 10 a.m.
The indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a criminal enterprise that attempted to overturn Biden’s victory by convincing Georgia state legislators, through false statements and other means, to unlawfully appoint fake electors to vote for Trump. Trump’s most serious charge in the Georgia case is violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. He also faces various fraud and forgery charges.
Last week, Trump was arrested, fingerprinted, and had his mugshot taken at the Fulton County jail. He was released on a $200,000 bond, facilitated by a local bail bondsman.
Trump’s release conditions differ from those of his co-defendants. He is prohibited from making any direct or indirect threats against anyone involved in the case or the broader community or its property, including social media posts or reposts of others’ posts. This condition was set by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.
Initially, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis proposed a trial date of March 4, 2024, in the Georgia election case, one day before the Super Tuesday primary contests and seven months before the presidential election. However, the trial plan was complicated when one of Trump’s co-defendants requested a speedy trial date, which was set for October 23rd. As a result, the district attorney asked for all defendants, including Trump, to go to trial on the same date as the speedy trial.
Trump’s lawyers have opposed the October trial date and have requested that his case be separated from the defendants seeking a speedy trial.
In addition to the Georgia case, Trump faces numerous charges in three other criminal cases. In two separate federal cases, he has been indicted for election interference and mishandling classified documents related to his attempts to overturn Biden’s victory. Trial dates for these federal cases have been set for March 4, 2024, and May 20, 2024, respectively. In a New York state case, Trump has been charged with falsifying business records linked to hush money payments. Trump denies allegations of extramarital affairs.
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