Judge Drops Key Charges in High-Profile Trump Georgia Case

At a Glance

A Georgia court dismissed two of the 10 criminal charges against Donald Trump.
The charges relate to alleged attempts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Georgia lacked authority to bring these specific charges.
Eight charges against Trump will proceed.

Charges Dismissed in Georgia Case

A judge in Georgia has dismissed two of the criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and another charge against his associates. Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee ruled that the state of Georgia did not have the authority to bring charges related to the alleged filing of false documents in federal court.

This decision marks a significant point in the ongoing case, which involves multiple allegations of legal and ethical violations. Of the initial 13 charges against Trump, he now faces eight as the court moves forward. Trump’s legal team has described this ruling as a favorable turn, which could influence the strategy for both the defense and prosecution.

Georgia judge dismisses two criminal counts against Trump in Fani Willis' 2020 election interference case https://t.co/XxGhwyqZQN

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 12, 2024

Details of Dismissed Charges

The dismissed charges included conspiracy to commit false documents and conspiracy to commit forgery. Additionally, two co-defendants had their related forgery charges dropped. These dropped charges relate to allegations of assembling fraudulent presidential electors and filing a lawsuit with false claims. Steven Sadow, Trump’s lawyer, praised the ruling as a positive development for the defense.

While this decision alleviates some pressure on Trump’s case, the primary charge of racketeering remains active for all defendants. The indictment by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis accuses Trump of conspiring with 18 others to interfere with the election outcome. This includes the highly publicized phone call to Georgia’s chief election officer, asking to “find 11,780 votes.”

Georgia judge dismisses two more charges against Trump in election case https://t.co/nMmbu9aaZR

— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) September 12, 2024

Current Case Status

The case has faced numerous delays, primarily due to allegations of misconduct involving District Attorney Fani Willis. Since June, the legal proceedings have been largely on hold, awaiting decisions from a Georgia appeals court on whether Fani Willis must recuse herself from the case. Arguments are scheduled for December, effectively pushing the case timeline past the November 5 election.

A separate federal case against Trump has also faced delays. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling granted broad immunity to presidents from criminal prosecution, affecting the pace of this parallel federal prosecution. Despite these legal hurdles, Trump and 14 of his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to the racketeering and other state charges, while four others have pleaded guilty.