Trump Pleads Not Guilty in Georgia Election Case

Facts

• On Thursday, former US president Donald Trump pled not guilty to 13 felony counts as part of his criminal indictment in Fulton County, Georgia.¹
• Trump's plea was entered via a court filing, waiving his right to attend a court arraignment next Wednesday. Trump's charges allege that the former president unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.²
• Trump had previously attended the arraignments of his other three criminal indictments. Trump's plea comes a week after he traveled to the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24 to turn himself in, becoming the first former president to have his mugshot taken.³
• The former president's lawyers also asked for his case to be separated from those of the 18 co-defendants. This includes former Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, whose trial is set to begin on Oct. 23.⁴
• In the separate filing on Thursday, Trump lawyer Steve Sadow argued that preparations for a 98-page indictment and a total of 41 charges against all defendants would necessarily take longer than two months. Within this period Trump remains free, having paid a $200K bond pending trial.⁵
• Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has also announced that all related hearings and trials related to the criminal proceedings will be live-streamed on YouTube. Pool coverage for television, radio, and still photography will also be allowed.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²NPR Online News, ³PBS NewsHour, ⁴Reuters, ⁵USA Today, and ⁶CBS.

Narratives

• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by The Last Refuge. The decision by Donald Trump to waive his right to appear in court intelligently starves the woke media in its shameful quest to push a disingenuous message. It's this strategic thinking that the Biden White House sorely lacks — making it evermore important that Trump survives the ongoing witch-hunt so he can win the presidency and right the ship in America.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by The Herald Bulletin. Trump attempted to lead a conspiracy in the state of Georgia as part of an attempt to undermine the entire US system of democracy. No matter the fame or fortune of any US citizen, any individual who takes part in such a crime should held accountable for their actions. The Georgia case is a vital one for America's future.

Predictions