Fulton County prosecutors may extend 'offers' to 2 defendants in Georgia election case

Prosecutors have indicated they may extend some sort of plea offer to the first two defendants set to stand trial next month in the Georgia election interference case.

With less than a month to go before the first trial gets underway in the sweeping Georgia election interference case, prosecutors in the Fulton County district attorney's office on Friday suggested they may extend some sort of plea offer to the two defendants set to stand trial.

Former Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell and lawyer Kenneth Chesebro are scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 23 after a judge severed their cases from the 17 other defendants following the pair's speedy trial requests.

Powell and Chesebro, along with former President Donald Trump and 16 others, have pleaded not guilty to all charges in a criminal racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.

MORE: Judge severs Trump's Georgia election interference case, and 16 others, from trial starting in October

The possibility of an offer was raised Friday during a virtual status conference, when Judge Scott McAfee brought up "disposition without a trial" and asked if the state "is planning to convey any offers in this case?"

Prosecutor Nathan Wade responded that attorneys in the DA's office "have not made an offer." The judge then followed up, asking, "Is the state in the position to be able to make one in the near future?"

"Judge, I believe that we can," Wade replied. "We'll sit down and kind of put some things together and we'll reach out to defense counsel individually to extend an offer."

Chesebro is accused in the DA's indictment of drafting a strategy to use so-called "alternate electors" to prevent Joe Biden from receiving 270 electoral votes during the certification of the 2020 presidential election. His attorneys have argued that the action was justified since Chesebro, in working for Trump, was "fulfilling his duty to his client as an attorney."

PHOTO: Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, in Fulton County Jail booking photos.
Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, in Fulton County Jail booking photos.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Powell is accused of conspiring with other co-defendants to commit election fraud by allegedly encouraging and helping people tamper with ballot markers and machines inside an elections office in Coffee County.

Also during Friday's hearing, Judge McAfee opened the door to the possibility that more defendants may join the Oct. 23 trial.

Earlier this month, when McAfee severed the 17 defendants from the speedy trial, he ordered that all the remaining defendants must waive their right to speedy trial or they will "immediately" join the Oct. 23 trial -- but as of Friday, McAfee said, six defendants had still have not waived.

"I will be checking in with everyone today," McAfee said of the defendants who have not waived their right to speedy trial. "Based on the feedback and the response we get, if it dramatically shifts the dynamic, we will make room. Perhaps instead of two tables, we'll be getting three or four."

"We're taking it day by day," McAfee said.

Among the other 17 defendants, Trump, attorney Rudy Giuliani and former Trump Chief of Staff Meadows have all waived their speedy trial rights.

McAfee also offered an initial timetable for the trial, indicating he expects it to take 3-5 months.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 protesters arrested for blocking bus carrying asylum-seekers in New York City

Image
One of the protesters in Staten Island is also accused of assaulting an officer. Protesters flooded the street outside a former senior living facility in Staten Island, temporarily blocking a bus carrying asylum-seekers, after local leaders said they learned it was slated to house New York City’s latest migrant shelter. Ten people were arrested, nine of whom received summonses for disorderly conduct and were released, police said. Vadim Belyakov, 48, was charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and obstructing government administration after an officer was injured trying to arrest him, according to police. He will be arraigned in criminal court Wednesday. The police officer was treated for a knee injury. City Councilman David Carr said the city Department of Social Services told him the shelter would be opening at the former Island Shores Senior Living Facility, which brought dozens of residents to protest , and police officers quickly responded to close the street ...
Read more

SEC Approves Landmark Rule Requiring Some Companies to Report Emissions, Climate Risks

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday approved a rule that will require some public companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, after last-minute revisions that weakened the rule in the face of strong pushback from companies. The rule was one of the most anticipated in recent years from the nation’s top financial regulator, drawing more than 24,000 comments from companies, auditors, legislators and trade groups. It brings the U.S. closer to the European Union and California, which moved ahead earlier with corporate climate disclosure rules. The rule passed 3-2, with three Democratic commissioners supporting it and two Republicans opposed. Read More: Actually, Clean Tech Investment is Still Going Strong Publicly traded companies will be required to say more in their financial statements about the risks climate change poses to their operations and their own contributions to the problem. But the version approved Wednesday was weak...
Read more

40-year-old father falls to his death in front of wife and 5 children on Oregon hiking trail

Image
A hiker was killed over the weekend when he slipped and plummeted down the side of a mountain in front of his wife and five children in Oregon, officials said. A 40-year- old hiker was killed over the weekend when he slipped and plummeted down the side of a mountain in front of his wife and five children near Oregon's Multnomah Falls, officials said. The hiking trail tragedy unfolded about 2 p.m. Saturday about a half-mile from the iconic Benson Bridge, a footbridge near Oregon's tallest waterfall, the 620-foot Mulnomah Falls, authorities said. "Mom, Dad, five kids were all here enjoying a beautiful day. And unfortunately, a tragic accident happened," said John Plock, a spokesman for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. "At one point on the trail, the father slipped and fell and fell down the side of an embankment." Plock said the man, whose name has not been released, fell 100 to 150 feet down the embankment alongside the Columbia River Highway. A...
Read more