The State of Georgia has submitted a pretrial scheduling order following former President Donald Trump's latest indictment.
"In light of Defendant Donald Trump's other criminal and civil matters pending in the courts of our sister sovereigns, the State of Georgia proposes certain deadlines that do not conflict with these other courts' already-scheduled hearings and trial dates," reads the Motion For Entry of Pretrial Scheduling Order. "Further, the proposed dates are requested so as to allow the Defendants’ needs to review discovery and prepare for trial but also to protect the State of Georgia’s and the public’s interest in a prompt resolution of the charges for which the Defendants have been indicted."
"The State attaches to this Motion a proposed Pretrial Scheduling Order for the Court’s consideration containing the State’s proposed deadlines and other relevant dates."
Proposed arraignment for Defendants will take place the week of Sept. 5, according to the filing. Final pretrial conference shall be held on Feb. 20, 2024 and the trial shall commence on March 4, 2024.
Earlier this week, Trump responded to the Georgia indictment referring to it as a "witch hunt."
“So, the Witch Hunt continues!” Trump wrote to Truth Social. “Nineteen people Indicated tonight, including the former President of the United States, me, by an out of control and very corrupt District Attorney who campaigned and raised money on, ‘I will get Trump.'”
“And what about those Indictment Documents put out today, long before the Grand Jury even voted, and then quickly withdrawn?” Trump said of the leaked indictment Monday afternoon. “Sounds Rigged to me! Why didn’t they Indict 2.5 years ago? Because they wanted to do it right in the middle of my political campaign.”
Trump has been indicted over allegations of violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Eighteen others, including Rudy Giuliani, have been charged along with the former President over the RICO Act and other alleged acts to conspire in regards to the 2020 presidential election.
Defendants have been given the opportunity to voluntarily surrender no later than noon on Aug. 25, said Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis. All 19 defendants will be tried together.
Every individual is charged with one count of violating the RICO Act in Fulton County and elsewhere “to accomplish the illegal goal of allowing Donald J Trump to seize the presidential term of office, beginning on January, 2021,” said Willis during a Monday night press conference following the indictment.
“I remind everyone here that an indictment is only a series of allegations based on a grand jury’s determination of probable cause to support the charges,” she concluded. “It is now the duty of my office to prove these charges in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.”
