This means the case will likely not go to trial until after the presidential election, a huge win for Trump.

 

A Georgia appeals court has frozen former President Trump’s criminal trial proceedings as it takes up his appeal seeking to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D), all but guaranteeing the trial will not be held before this year’s election.

In a one-page ruling issued on Wednesday, the Georgia Court of Appeals issued a pause until it resolves the appeals from Trump and a handful of his co-defendants seeking to boot Willis from the prosecution over her romance with a top prosecutor.

Oral arguments are tentatively scheduled for October, meaning the case will likely not proceed to trial until after the presidential election, where Trump is the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee and is hoping to retake the White House and grind his cases to a halt. A trial date had not yet been selected.

The appeals court’s decision to stay the proceedings comes as it weighs whether Willis should be removed from prosecuting the case over her relationship with a top prosecutor who was also working on the case.

The romance between Willis and then-special prosecutor Nathan Wade was put on full display during a series of hearings where they both took the stand to defend their past relationship.

Judge Scott McAfee ultimately ruled that Willis could remain on the case if Wade resigned, which he did. Both prosecutors have maintained that their relationship was not improper.

Trump and several co-defendants said the Georgia judge’s decision fell short and asked the appeals court to consider the case. Trump attorney Steve Sadow declined to comment.

The Hill requested comment from Ashleigh Merchant, an attorney for 2020 Trump campaign operative Michael Roman, who brought Willis and Wade’s romance to light in an initial motion to disqualify the Fulton County district attorney from the case.

Trump and several allies are accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. The former president has pleaded not guilty.