Judge Denies Fulton County DA Request to Try All 19 Defendants Together in Trump Election Case

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting the case, has repeatedly asked to try all 19 defendants together.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee presides over a hearing regarding media access in the case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug, 31, 2023. Arvin Temkar/Pool/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee officially severed the cases of defendants Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell from former President Donald Trump and 16 co-defendants on Thursday in a new order.

“Severing the remaining 17 co-defendants is simply a procedural and logistical inevitability,” Judge McAfee wrote, while reiterating the order that Mr. Chesebro’s and Ms. Powell’s cases will not be severed from each other and denying any request to pause state proceedings while removals to federal court are ongoing.