08/31/2023

Trump Pleads Not Guilty in Georgia Case

He also waived the right to an in-person arraignment

Former president Donald Trump entered a plea of not guilty to charges alleging he participated in a vast criminal conspiracy to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia and waived his right to an in-person arraignment hearing in the matter, according to a new court filing from his attorney in the Fulton County election interference case.

The written plea was filed Thursday by Steve Sadow, an Atlanta criminal defense attorney who was tapped Aug. 24 to lead the former president's Georgia-based legal team. The filing means Trump won't return to Atlanta on Wednesday, where Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the proceedings, has scheduled a series of arraignment hearings for Trump and the 18 co-defendants in the sprawling criminal racketeering case.

In the filing, titled "President Trump's entry of plea of not guilty and enter of waiver of appearance at arraignment," the former president stated that he was "freely and voluntarily" waiving his right to be present at his arraignment and have his charges read to him in open court.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.