Donald Trump formally asked a Georgia judge on Thursday to cleave his Georgia RICO case from his co-defendants who have exercised their rights to a quick trial as soon as October.
New Trump attorney Steve Sadow filed the relatively short document in which he asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to sever his case from the co-defendants who demanded a speedy trial.
Sadow said in the filing that having the trial start early would not leave him with “sufficient time to prepare President Trump’s case for trial.” He added that having a late October trial for Trump would violate his rights to due process and a fair trial.
Trump, who has spent most of his life delaying various legal actions brought against him, signaled earlier this month that he would move to sever his case from any defendant who wanted a speedy trial. Attorney Ken Chesebro was the first to ask and got what he said he wanted: an Oct. 23 trial date.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who brought the sweeping election conspiracy case against Trump and 18 others, had asked McAfee to clarify his order setting Chesebro’s trial date, and said that she wanted to try the defendants all at once, if possible.
Trump’s request to sever marks yet another split in interests between him and his co-defendants in the Georgia racketeering case. His former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is off fighting to have the case removed to federal court, where he’d have a better chance at dismissal.
