On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Radar reported that the outcomes of four state cases against Donald Trump and his associates are in jeopardy due to canceled oral arguments and a judge’s recusal. Recent developments in election interference cases in Georgia and Arizona have led to speculation about the potential weakening of these prosecutions following Trump’s recent election victory.
Several former aides and allies of Trump are facing legal challenges across at least four U.S. states. While Trump himself is not expected to face trial during his time in office, many of his former associates are still under scrutiny. Key figures such as Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former personal attorney, and Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, are facing charges in both Georgia and Arizona. Georgia stands out as the only state where Trump has been officially indicted.
This week, the Georgia Court of Appeals canceled oral arguments that were scheduled for December 5, concerning the disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, who is overseeing the case against Trump. The cancellation follows a lower court’s decision rejecting a motion to remove Willis after it was disclosed that she had a romantic relationship with an outside attorney involved in the prosecution.
Although the appeals court has not publicly stated the reasons for the cancellation, the clerk indicated that the judges may rely on the written legal briefs submitted by defense attorneys to make their decision. Christina Smith, the clerk of the Court of Appeals, mentioned that the cancellation was partly due to logistical challenges, as many lawyers wanted to present arguments within a limited timeframe.
In Arizona, another significant development occurred when Judge Bruce Cohen recused himself from a case involving Trump and his allies. Defendants in this case sought Cohen’s disqualification after it became known that he had expressed strong disapproval of Trump’s comments regarding Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton in an email to fellow judges. The recusal is expected to delay the proceedings as a new judge is now assigned to the case, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
In addition to cases in Georgia and Arizona, state prosecutors in Michigan and Wisconsin are advancing with their own legal actions against Trump and his allies. These cases relate to alleged efforts to maintain power following Trump’s 2020 election loss. A similar case in Nevada was dismissed earlier this year but is currently under appeal by the state’s attorney general.
Legal analysts suggest that courts may offer protections to Trump from prosecution during his upcoming term, which could impact the trajectory of these ongoing cases.
Source: Radar
