BREAKING: Judge Rules Fani Willis Can Continue Trump Prosecution—But There's a Catch

PJ Media ^ | 03/15/2024 | Chris Queen

[SeekAndFind]

Fulton County, Ga., Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee made his decision on whether District Attorney Fani Willis can continue prosecuting Donald Trump and 18 other co-defendants on corruption charges.

McAfee ruled that Willis can continue to prosecute the former president and his co-defendants, but he has given the state multiple options to handle the case. All options involve Nathan Wade stepping away from the team.

“The prosecution of this case cannot proceed until the State selects one of two options,” McAfee wrote in his decision. “The District Attorney may choose to step aside, along with the whole of her office, and refer the prosecution to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council for reassignment... Alternatively, (Special Assistant District Attorney) Wade can withdraw, allowing the District Attorney, the Defendants, and the public to move forward without his presence or remuneration distracting from and potentially compromising the merits of this case.”

Willis campaigned as an anti-corruption candidate in 2020 because accusations of sexual and financial wrongdoing surrounded her predecessor, Paul Howard. She declared to an interviewer that the people of Fulton County “deserve a DA that won't have sex with his employees [and] won't put money in their own pocket.”

McAfee ordered a hearing into Willis’ conflicts of interest after reports surfaced in January that Willis was allegedly carrying on an affair with Nathan Wade, an attorney she hired as a special counsel on the case. Despite his lack of experience with RICO cases, Willis paid him more than more experienced attorneys for his work.

Willis also allegedly dispatched Wade to meet with Biden administration officials about the Trump prosecution.

[rdcbn1]

i suspect that this is just the first act of this play.

The judge granted the defendants motion to dismiss many of the claims.

The claims dismissed are the foundation of the legal basis for the prosecution It's not clear how much of the case can stand now that the legs have been knocked out from under it.

Especially in light of the recent revelations.

So one track for the defense could be attacking other claims now that the under pinnings of the case have already been dismissed.

Then again, judge has just opened up a huge can of worms that make it is unlikely that this case simply proceeds in a normal fashion.

There is wide spread outrage at this ruling in Georgia and too much evidence of serious misconduct has been exposed.

Heck, much of Georgia has been sick and tired of Atlanta and Fulton County corrupt shenanigans for a long time.

Gov Kemp just signed into law a few days ago new legislation giving much greater degree of power for supervision and disciplinary action against rouge DAs.

This bizarre ruling may just galvanize the Georgia Senate investigative committee into further action to investigate this case in much greater detail and now they have the power to act a bit more aggressively.

Same with the House investigation.

Things like subpoenaing Willis and Wade's phone, email and text records.

There was damning evidence filed after the hearing that the judge did not bring into evidence. and he was very clear that he felt he had enough evidence to rule without all the new evidence and that is just what he did.

I think the first action here is a motion for reconsideration based on evidence newly uncovered after the hearing that he neglected to consider in his ruling.

This may also give the defense ( and all the other bodies investigating Willis) more time to investigate and execute more in depth discovery to follow up on what they already have discovered.

Next would be an appeal of the judge's decision.

This could tie up the case for many months or even years. One thing is almost for sure, this is just the start of real messy food fight. The judge could have shut this reality show down but instead he just threw high octane fuel on the fire.

[The Louiswu]

Judge is an obviously racist. Unfairly Punishing the black man for something someone else did. Wade ought to sue The Fanni and the state. How dare they!!! /s

[ridesthemiles]

EXACTLY

Wade is not off the hook & Willis has lost control over him.

Trump, et al, have the right to call whatever witnesses they wish.

Anyway you look at it, Willis has created a total S___ Show

[ridesthemiles]

NO matter what-—Wade & willis have ruined their careers as lawyers...

They both are toxic

[ridesthemiles]

How can a Judge say that a defendant cannot call the witnesses they wish???

[ridesthemiles]

DAMAGE ALREADY DONE

WADE & WILLIS CONTAMINATED THE CASE FROM THE GIT-GO.

[FreedomPoster]

Thanks, and yes, we’re on the same page regarding Fulton.

[Verginius Rufus]

Maybe Judge McAfee reads the Bible and was trying to be wise like Solomon.

When two women both claimed to be the mother of a baby, Solomon's solution was to split the baby in half. That's what McAfee is doing in this case.

[gbaker]

Hell the judge helped Big Fanny by giving her a reason to remove the incompetent Wade from the trial.

[Danie_2023]

“That is something that Trump’s team should be able to cite in their own request for appeal, to show that since he has already stated he would be willing to allow the prosecution to appeal before the end of the trial, he should allow the defense to as well, albeit on a different matter.”

Excellent point. And in a normal, sane, logical, etc. world... it would ring true. Alas...

[Danie_2023]

“Hell the judge helped Big Fanny by giving her a reason to remove the incompetent Wade from the trial.”

Exactly. He handed her an ‘out’... a ‘get out of jail free’ card. But some of us knew he would... due to ‘his’ conflict of interest in this case.

[spacejunkie2001]

that’s not completely true as the testicles were removed long ago...........or were never there to begin with

[TornadoAlley3]

The state and feds are investigating Fani.

[Aria]

“merits of the case”. WHAT MERITS! The whole thing is a ginned up sham to conduct election interference.

Our government SUCKS!

[navymom1]

And once more the Uni Party flips us off.

[FreedomPoster]

So you’re saying they’ll both end up with sinecures at some university or nonprofit?

[Jumper]

Even Kemp is having the two houses of government in GA draft up legistation to remove Fani.

[Gaffer]

And the hack coward judge quibbles over COI/Remuneration when the real facts are everybody on the county’s side lied their ass off under oath.

Good luck with your election, idiot white boy. Those black people ain’t gonna vote for you.

[Golden Eagle]

It’s not normal, but it’s certainly possible. At a minimum he could limit the questioning to omit anything that is considered privileged to the prosecution, just as if the prosecution was trying to get one of Trump’s lawyers on the stand for them. If the questioning was allowed, Wade could also plead the 5th, especially if his answer might contradict something he previously testified.

As I said, I’m all for this angle of attachk and appreciate AC bringing it forward, as no one analyzing it on TV has even mentioned it yet that I’ve seen. But it’s not like he’s going to be hooked up to a lie detector and forced to answer every question they dream up, even if they’re allowed to call him, was my only caution.

[stylin19a]

That's what I exactly how I called it from the beginning of this mess even if Fani got whacked. But the judge's reason stinks.

From the decision:
"Disqualification of a prosecutor due to a conflict of interest is thus not a creature of statute somuch as it is a judicial remedy recognized by our appellate courts"

then there's this:
Without sufficient evidence that the District Attorney acquired a personal stake in the prosecution, or that her financial arrangements had any impact on the case, the Defendants’ claims of an actual conflict must be denied. This finding is by no means an indication that the Court condones this tremendous lapse in judgment or the unprofessional manner of the District Attorney’s testimony during the evidentiary hearing

Then this about her speech in the church -how doesn't it taint the jury if they heard about it?:
As best it can divine, under the sole direction of Williams , the Court cannot find that this speech crossed the line to the point where the Defendants have been denied the opportunity for a fundamentally fair trial, or that it requires the District Attorney’s disqualification

I don't know if this is appealable here and now. If so, I'm guessing Pres. Trump appeals this. Otherwise it could be grounds for a claim of reversable error on appeal after the judgement, should it go the prosecution's way.