Former United States President Donald Trump has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of election interference in the state of Georgia.
The court filing, signed by Trump, waived the need for a formal arraignment hearing, stating, “I do hereby waive formal arraignment and enter my plea of NOT GUILTY to the indictment in this case.”
The charges stem from allegations that Trump and 18 associates conspired to “unlawfully change the outcome” of the 2020 US presidential election in Georgia. Prosecutors had initially set arraignment hearings for Trump and his co-defendants on September 6.
Trump, a leading contender for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination, turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta last week and was subsequently released on a $200,000 bond. Notably, he became the first former US president to have his mugshot taken.
Trump’s legal battles also extend to federal charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, and other charges in Florida and New York regarding the handling of government documents and business records. He has maintained his innocence in all cases and has characterized them as attempts to derail his re-election campaign.
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In the Georgia case, Trump and his co-defendants, including aides, lawyers, and political allies, were charged under the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law (RICO), often used in prosecuting organized crime. The investigation was launched after a publicized phone call between Trump and Georgia’s top election official on January 2, 2021, where Trump reportedly urged the official to “find 11,780 votes” to overturn the election results in his favor.
By waiving his arraignment, Trump effectively cancelled the scheduled hearing in Atlanta, which was expected to draw considerable media attention and public interest. Several of Trump’s co-defendants had already waived their formal arraignments earlier in the week.
Trump’s legal team also requested that his case be severed from some co-accused who sought a speedy trial, aiming to have his trial schedule separated from that of Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer for Trump’s 2020 campaign.
Despite his legal challenges, Trump remains a prominent figure in the race for the 2024 presidential nomination, leveraging his mugshot on campaign merchandise with the slogan “never surrender.”
While the US Constitution permits Trump to run for and be elected president even if he is convicted, the unique circumstances surrounding his legal situation raise questions about how a potential prison sentence would be managed.
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