Trump has publicly signalled his intention to contest the accusations in the massive racketeering case presented by Fulton County prosecutors, in which he is accused of conspiring to disrupt the 2020 election in Georgia.
To avoid having to appear in court on September 6 to have the charges read to him, Trump filed his plea Thursday in a two-page court filing. Many of the other 18 suspects who were accused with him have also decided not to show up to their arraignments.
Three times in the document, Trump calls himself “President Trump” or “President Donald Trump.”
The plea marks the beginning of a new chapter in the criminal proceedings against Trump in Georgia, as prosecutors can now begin sharing evidence in preparation for the trial, which has not yet been scheduled. One of the attorneys accused of participating in the alleged plot, Kenneth Chesebro, has requested that the trial date for Trump and the other defendants be moved up to October 23. This has been requested by District Attorney Fani Willis.
But Trump has shown signs of wanting to separate his case from the others, and many other defendants, like Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, are trying to get the case transferred to federal court, which may mean a new trial schedule for all 19 defendants.
Meadows is waiting for a ruling from U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, who is now considering his case.
