Georgia appeals court agrees to hear Donald Trump's request to remove Fani Willis from his criminal case

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: In the latest setback to the Fulton County District Attorney, the Georgia Court of Appeals has granted Donald Trump's request to have Fani Willis removed from his election fraud trial, according to Daily Mail.

Willis has sparked controversy in prosecuting the county's election interference case against the former president after it was revealed that she had a past relationship with former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade.

She got off lightly after Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said she could stay on the Trump election interference case if Wade resigned from his post.

The appeals court has now been petitioned to reverse McAfee's March ruling by Trump and eight of his co-defendants who were accused in the Georgia state court.

Trump's appeal has already been approved by the court, but the hearing date for the case has not yet been determined.

Georgia Court of Appeals’ decision could potentially derail election fraud case against Trump

The decision by the court to consider the appeal before the trial might lead to additional delays in the election fraud case, which is one of four criminal prosecutions that former President Trump is facing as he attempts to defeat the 81-year-old incumbent, President Joe Biden, in the November 5 election.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and has accused prosecutors of launching a politically motivated effort to undermine his presidential campaign.

The appellate court's decision to hear the case could be attributed to the testimonies in McAfee's courtroom, during which DA Fani Willis and former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade admitted to having a sexual relationship.

Donald Trump’s legal counsel and several co-defendants attempted to demonstrate that the affair began before Willis brought Wade into the case and argued that it presented a conflict of interest.

However, Willis stated that the relationship became romantic later on.

After a dramatic evidentiary hearing involving allegations and counter-allegations about extravagant trips and cash reimbursements, Judge McAfee presented the state with two options; either Willis and her entire team stepped back from the case, or Wade removed himself from it.

Judge Scott McAfee chided DA Fani Willis for a “tremendous lapse in judgment” and for acting in an “unprofessional manner,” and found that while there was no actual conflict of interest, there was at least the appearance of one. 

Nathan Wade resigned hours after the judge's decision in March.

It was an embarrassing ordeal for both prosecutors involved in Trump’s case, but Judge McAfee's decision allowed the election interference trial to proceed.

If the case had been transferred to prosecutors in a different county, it might have caused further delays or led to a different indictment.

The state Supreme Court's ruling will likely result in delays for the criminal trials of former President Trump and his codefendants, who are accused of a wide-ranging conspiracy to overturn the election in the Peach State in 2020.

Should this come to pass, it would be the most recent in a series of wins for the 77-year-old MAGA strongman, as his legal team has successfully postponed his criminal cases as Election Day approaches.

The ex-president's DC January 6 case is at a standstill as it awaits a Supreme Court decision on his claims of presidential immunity.

Judge Aileen Cannon ruled on Tuesday that Trump’s case involving classified documents in Florida has been postponed indefinitely due to ongoing disputes over the handling of classified documents.

Even his ongoing Stormy Daniels case in Manhattan has experienced a delay.

In a statement regarding the Georgia case, Trump's lawyer Steven Sadow expressed determination to continue efforts to remove Willis from the case.

Sadow said in a statement, “President Trump looks forward to presenting interlocutory arguments to the Georgia Court of Appeals as to why the case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for her misconduct in this unjustified, unwarranted political persecution.”

Internet reacts as Georgia appeals court agrees to hear Donald Trump's bid 

One X user remarked, "Hallelujah! That witch hunt is over. One down three to go!"

Another user said, "Good. Fani Willis should be disbarred and in jail. So much conflict of interest, so much corruption."

Another user wrote, "Fani is so screwed."

One user claimed, "She should be in jail."

Another X user remarked, "That's another step in the right direction.."

Finally, this user tweeted, "The case should be totally dismissed."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.