New Challenge for Judge in Trump Georgia Case: His Own Election
The New York Times
Judge Scott McAfee has been campaigning at a dizzying pace ahead of the May 21 primary election. All while presiding over a sprawling election interference case against Donald Trump.
There are many reasons to believe that former President Donald J. Trump will not be going to trial in Georgia anytime soon. A controversy involving sex, money and the district attorney has slowed down the election interference case. Dozens of pretrial motions have yet to be resolved, and the United States Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals must still weigh in on key legal questions.
While it may not create nearly as much drag on the proceedings, there is also the fact that the presiding judge is busy running for election.
Very busy.
In the last few weeks, Judge Scott McAfee of Fulton Superior Court has been on a dizzying tour of the Atlanta area in an effort to hold on to his job — and in so doing, hold on to the Trump case, one that could eventually secure the judge’s place in the annals of history. Since early March, he has, by his own count, attended more than 30 campaign-related events, including three fund-raisers, three candidate forums, seven church services and a parade.
In a recent interview, Judge McAfee, 34, said that campaigning was “delaying every aspect” of his job. And while he enjoys many advantages over his rivals — as an incumbent in a down-ticket election whose work on the Trump case has earned him broad name recognition — he said he has no choice but to give the race his all. Losing the election, after all, would mean turning over the case, a complex racketeering prosecution with 15 defendants, to a new judge.
“It takes a lot of time,” he said. “I mean, I’ve to go get my message out there.”
The Constitution sets a two-term limit for presidents. Still, Donald J. Trump has repeatedly floated the idea that he might like to stay in the White House beyond his next term.
In other testimony, law enforcement witnesses placed the suspect, José Ibarra, at the scene of Ms. Riley’s killing, mainly through cellphone and GPS tracking data.
The warning, which extends beyond the city to include 10 other counties in New York state, was announced as wildfires burned and residents continued to await meaningful rainfall.
A new curriculum would focus on Christianity more than other religions. A kindergarten lesson on the Golden Rule, for example, would teach about Jesus and his Sermon on the Mount.
A suspect was arrested Monday morning in connection with the stabbings, which occurred across a broad swath of the borough over several hours and left a third person critically injured.
The 99-year-old house on Boston’s North Shore is battered and uninhabited. And yet, it is beloved by artists and locals — so much that they helped pause its demolition.
Slashing the original $15 toll raises questions about whether a smaller revenue stream could delay projects or lead to higher costs for New York’s public transit agency.
The group’s actions in Columbus on Saturday, part of a recent pattern of white supremacist incidents in the country, were condemned by officials around the state.
As a Senate recount plays out, at least four counties are ignoring an order from the State Supreme Court that undated or misdated mail ballots cannot be counted.
The voluntary evacuation plan was put in place in areas affected by the Jennings Creek wildfire. Officials encouraged residents of 165 homes to move out temporarily.
In a court filing, the judge said the conviction of Melissa Lucio, whose scheduled execution in 2022 was halted, should be overturned. The state’s highest criminal court will now decide.