Former President Donald Trump’s trial in Georgia will be televised, a state judge said on Aug. 31.
Superior Court of Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing President Trump’s case, said in a written order that the trial will be televised and live-streamed by local outlets, including WSB-TV.
Judge McAfee, appointed by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, said that he was following the example of Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney.
“In line with the spirit of transparency here, we have followed Judge McBurney’s model, and we have been live-streaming all of our major proceedings on a Fulton County-provided YouTube channel,” Judge McAfee said during a hearing on the matter, the New York Post reported. “And our plan was to do that with this case as well. So there’s going to be a YouTube feed the entire time.”
It’s not clear when the trial will take place because no date has yet been set.
Georgia law allows broadcast of court proceedings provided a written request is made, and that upon approval of such a request, the broadcaster or broadcasters not “disturb the proceedings.”
President Trump is also facing federal charges in Washington and state charges in New York. The ruling only applies to the Georgia case.
Photographers were allowed into President Trump’s arraignment in New York earlier this year, but no portions of any of the proceedings have been televised.
Judge McAfee had previously ruled that President Trump’s arraignment could be televised, but the arraignment did not take place because President Trump entered a not guilty plea earlier Thursday while waiving arraignment.
Judge McAfee was randomly assigned the case. He once worked under Democrat Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, but has not recused himself nor has he been asked to recuse.
President Trump is facing 13 felony counts that were presented by Ms. Willis and approved by a grand jury.
The indictment alleges President Trump and his allies, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, committed crimes when they attempted to pressure authorities to investigate possible election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
That included President Trump’s call for the Georgia House of Representatives to convene a special session to probe the situation and Mr. Meadows traveling to Georgia to observe an audit that was ordered by state authorities.
The defendants “joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump,” the indictment states.
President Trump and his co-defendants have said they are innocent and have argued that Ms. Willis’s probe was politically motivated.
Seeks to Sever Case
An attorney for President Trump also asked Judge McAfee on Thursday to separate his case from those of defendants who have asked for an expedited trial. The judge has already set an Oct. 23 trial date for one of those defendants.Giving the former president less than two months to prepare a defense against a 98-page indictment would “violate President Trump’s federal and state constitutional rights to a fair trial and due process of law,” attorney Steve Sadow said in a court filing.
Ms. Willis has said she wants all of the defendants tried together. After one defendant filed a demand for a speedy trial, she asked the judge to set an Oct. 23 trial date for everyone.
Others Waive Arraignment
Jenna Ellis, an attorney who prosecutors say was involved in efforts to persuade state lawmakers to unlawfully appoint presidential electors, also pleaded not guilty and waived arraignment Thursday.Three other people charged in the indictment had already waived arraignment in filings with the court, saving them a repeat trip to Atlanta after they all turned themselves in at the Fulton County Jail last week. President Trump surrendered at the jail on Aug. 24, where he became the first former president to have a mug shot taken.
At least two defendants have filed demands for a speedy trial and have asked to be tried separately from others in the case. The judge set an Oct. 23 trial date for one of them, Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer who worked on the coordination and execution of a plan to have 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate stating that Trump won the state and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors.
Some of the others charged are trying to move their cases to federal court. A judge on Monday heard arguments on such a request by Mr. Mark Meadows. The judge did not immediately rule on the matter.
