By Steven Richards
At one time, unfavorable outcomes in the four court cases against former President Donald Trump seemed likely to be politically damaging for the three-time campaigner, but as the cases have faced scrutiny and delays, public opinion has recently shifted.
Yesterday, the Georgia Appeals Court agreed to hear an appeal in the state election case brought by controversial Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Earlier this week, a Florida judge indefinitely suspended the federal trial in the classified documents case.
With the federal January 6 case delayed until the Supreme Court rules on an immunity argument it heard this spring, Trump is now set to see significant delays in three of the four court cases arrayed against him by both state and federal prosecutors. Only the New York so-called “hush money” trial is ongoing, though key witnesses such as porn star Stormy Daniels have appeared to undermine aspects of the case.
The delays come as the 2024 election fast approaches. The former president—and now the presumptive Republican nominee—has been plagued by the court cases since early 2023 frequently hampering his efforts to campaign. After recent developments, three of those cases appear increasingly likely to be delayed until after the November election, which bodes well for his campaign.
“President Trump has established a commanding polling lead in the battleground and Crooked Joe Biden is on the ropes. His Democrat party allies know it, so they continue to ramp up their ongoing Witch-Hunts, further abusing and misusing the power of their offices to interfere in the presidential election,” Steven Cheung, Communications Director for the Trump 2024 campaign said in a statement to Just the News Wednesday.
“President Trump and his team will continue to fight these unconstitutional hoaxes in the courts and the American People will ultimately hold Crooked Joe and his comrades to account this Fall,” he added.
When the Georgia Appeals Court on Wednesday agreed to hear an appeal from Trump’s lawyers in his Georgia election interference case, it marked the latest in a series of delays in the state case.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who brought charges against Trump in August 2023, accused him and several co-defendants of a racketeering conspiracy to undermine the election outcome in Georgia in 2020.
The first delay came when one of Trump’s co-defendants in the case raised accusations that District Attorney Fani Willis had engaged in an improper romantic and financial relationship with the lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade. She is alleged to have benefited personally from that relationship.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, held hearings to assess calls for Willis to be disqualified. McAfee ultimately ruled that the District Attorney’s conduct was improper and that either Willis or her prosecutor, Wade, would have to step down from the case. Wade complied with the order, leaving Willis in place.
Trump and his co-defendants immediately moved to appeal his decision, which McAfee granted. Now that the Georgia Appeals Court has accepted that interlocutory appeal, it is likely to lead to even further delays.
Earlier this week, U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon postponed the May 20 start date of the classified documents trial indefinitely in the face several pre-trial motions occupying the calendar.
“The Court also determines that finalization of a trial date at this juncture—before resolution of the myriad and interconnected pre-trial and CIPA [Classified Information Procedures Act] issues remaining and forthcoming—would be imprudent and inconsistent with the Court’s duty to fully and fairly consider the various pending pre-trial motions before the Court, critical CIPA issues, and additional pretrial and trial preparations necessary to present this case to a jury,” Cannon wrote in her order.
“The Court therefore vacates the current May 20, 2024, trial date (and associated calendar call), to be reset by separate order following resolution of the matters before the Court, consistent with Defendants’ right to due process and the public’s interest in the fair and efficient administration of justice,” she added.
This announcement marked a win for the Trump team, which had previously asked the judge to delay the case until after the 2024 election, which she declined at the time.
The Trump team brought forward another issue this week that could also further hold up the trial.
