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Georgia grand jury meeting today whether Trump is charged over Georgia’s 2020 election
Georgia grand jury meeting today whether Trump is charged over Georgia’s 2020 election
A grand jury being seated Tuesday in Atlanta will likely consider whether criminal charges are appropriate for former President Donald Trump or his Republican allies for their efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating since shortly after Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in early 2021 and suggested the state's top elections official could help him “find 11,780 votes,” just enough needed to beat Democrat Joe Biden. The 2 1/2-year investigation expanded to include an examination of a slate of Republican fake electors, phone calls by Trump and others to Georgia officials in the weeks after the 2020 election and unfounded allegations of widespread election fraud made to state lawmakers. Willis, a Democrat, is expected to present her case before one of two new grand juries being seated Tuesday. She has previously suggested that any indictments would likely come in August. Here's how that process would work: WAIT. WASN'T THERE ALREADY A GRAND JURY IN THIS CASE? Yes. About a year into her investigation, Willis took the unusual step of asking for a special grand jury. She said at the time that she needed the panel's subpoena power to compel testimony from witnesses who otherwise might not be willing to talk to her team. That special grand jury was seated in May 2022 and was released in January after completing its work. It was essentially an investigative tool and didn't have the power to indict. Instead, it issued subpoenas and considered testimony from about 75 witnesses, as well as other evidence, before drafting a final report with recommendations for Willis. While part of that report was made public in February, the judge overseeing the special grand jury said any recommendations on specific charges for specific people would remain secret for the time being. The panel's foreperson said in media interviews later that month that they recommended indicting numerous people, but she declined to name names. Willis isn't bound by the special grand jury's recommendations. WHO MIGHT WILLIS BE EYEING FOR POSSIBLE CHARGES? Willis sent letters last summer warning certain people — including the state's fake electors and former New York mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani — that they could face charges in the case. Some of the fake electors have since reached immunity deals with Willis' team. While she hasn't said one way or the other whether she would seek charges against Trump, Willis has repeatedly said no one is above the law. Willis is a fan of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and there have been hints she'll use it in this case. The RICO Act allows prosecutors to bring charges against multiple people that they believe committed separate crimes while working toward a common goal. HOW COMMON ARE REGULAR GRAND JURIES? Very. There are generally two grand juries seated in Fulton County in each two-month term of court. They usually meet every week — one on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other on Thursdays and Fridays. Their work takes place behind closed doors, not open to the public or to news media. Grand jurors must be U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old and must live in the county where they serve. Each grand jury is made up of 16 to 23 people and up to three alternates — at least 16 must be present for cases for the grand jury to hear any evidence or take any official action. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CASE IS PRESENTED TO THE GRAND JURY? Georgia law requires an indictment from a grand jury to prosecute someone in most felony cases — things like murder, aggravated assault, robbery and other crimes. When prosecutors present a case, they're trying to convince the grand jurors that there is probable cause that one or more people committed crimes and to get the grand jurors to sign off on bringing charges against them. For each case, prosecutors read or explain the potential indictment and then call witnesses or present any other evidence. Any witnesses who testify must swear an oath to tell the truth. Often in Georgia, the only witnesses the grand jury hears from are law enforcement officers, including investigators for the district attorney's office. They can tell the grand jurors what they've learned in their investigation, including what suspects or witnesses have said and what other evidence they have. Members of the grand jury are allowed to question witnesses. In general, a person who is named as a defendant on the potential indictment cannot be called to testify before the grand jury. HOW DO GRAND JURY DELIBERATIONS WORK? After the case has been presented, only members of the grand jury can be in the room for deliberations. They discuss the case and vote on whether to return a “true bill” or a “no bill.” A “true bill” means the grand jurors have voted to indict because they think there is probable cause to believe that the person accused committed the alleged crimes. A “no bill” means the grand jurors don't believe the person committed the alleged crimes or there isn't enough evidence to indict. At least 16 grand jurors must participate in the voting, and an indictment requires 12 of them to vote in favor of charges. The grand juror oath in Georgia requires jurors to “keep the deliberations of the Grand Jury secret unless called upon to give evidence thereof in some court of law of this State.” WHAT HAPPENS AFTER GRAND JURORS VOTE? If a grand jury votes to bring charges, the indictment must be presented in open court by the grand jury or the sworn grand jury bailiff in a courtroom where a judge and the clerk are present. Then it is filed in the clerk's office and is a public document. Soon after that, those charged will be booked and have their first court appearances. If the grand jury votes against indicting anyone, prosecutors can present the case again to a different grand jury. But if two grand juries vote not to indict on the same charges, prosecutors generally cannot try again to get an indictment on those charges. IF TRUMP IS INDICTED, CAN HE STILL RUN FOR PRESIDENT? Yes. Neither an indictment nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024. He has already been indicted twice this year in other cases. He faces 34 felony charges in New York state court accusing him of falsifying business records in a hush money scheme over allegations of extramarital sexual encounters. And he faces 37 felony charges in federal court in Florida accusing him of hoarding classified documents and refusing government demands to give them back. In addition, a Justice Department special counsel is investigating his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in multiple states, as well as the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Pence shuts down voter who blamed him for certifying Biden’s 2020 win Trump’s co-defendant wants to delay routine hearing on classified documents case Ex-Congressman suggests Hunter Biden alleged laptop data fabricated
2023-07-11 20:15
How did Robin Roberts and Amber Laign meet? 'GMA' host prepares for wedding, shares 18-year love story
How did Robin Roberts and Amber Laign meet? 'GMA' host prepares for wedding, shares 18-year love story
Robin Roberts and Amber Laign are set to get married in September
2023-08-17 05:18
Maine expansion of abortion laws, which would be among the country's broadest, passes committee
Maine expansion of abortion laws, which would be among the country's broadest, passes committee
A committee of the Maine Legislature has signed off on a proposal from Democratic Gov. Janet Mills that would give the state one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country
2023-06-10 01:46
Joe Rogan, Stephen Meyer discuss Big Bang, science and faith, fans call it 'some of the best stuff on the internet'
Joe Rogan, Stephen Meyer discuss Big Bang, science and faith, fans call it 'some of the best stuff on the internet'
Joe Rogan and his guest Stephen Meyer discussed various topics during the 'JRE' podcast
2023-07-17 19:54
Russian missiles kill four, including girl of 10, in Kryvyi Rih - officials
Russian missiles kill four, including girl of 10, in Kryvyi Rih - officials
By Pavel Polityuk KYIV A Russian missile attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Monday
2023-07-31 21:23
Pentagon says surveillance flights, not counterterrorism ops, have restarted in Niger
Pentagon says surveillance flights, not counterterrorism ops, have restarted in Niger
The Pentagon says it has not restarted counterterrorism operations in Niger, a day after the head of U.S. airpower for Europe and Africa said those flights had resumed
2023-09-15 03:19
Credit Suisse, Mozambique secure out-of-court 'tuna bond' settlement
Credit Suisse, Mozambique secure out-of-court 'tuna bond' settlement
By Noele Illien and Kirstin Ridley ZURICH (Reuters) -Credit Suisse has reached an 11th-hour out-of-court settlement with Mozambique over the
2023-10-01 20:29
No homecoming for Messi as Barcelona again fails to do enough to lure him back
No homecoming for Messi as Barcelona again fails to do enough to lure him back
Barcelona again couldn’t do enough to entice Lionel Messi
2023-06-08 17:56
Trump lashes out at Fulton County DA over Atlanta crime as potential ‘CON JOB’ indictment nears
Trump lashes out at Fulton County DA over Atlanta crime as potential ‘CON JOB’ indictment nears
Former president Donald Trump has again lashed out at Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Truth Social, ahead of a week in which it is expected he will be indicted for 2020 election interference in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Returning to themes of attack he has deployed before, he called Ms Willis “RACIST” and criticised her professional record combating crime in Atlanta. He called the city “one of the deadliest communities in the US” with “gang members roaming the streets”, adding that they are treated with “kid gloves”. Toward the end of the rambling sentence, the former president got to his point, saying he had heard — without providing evidence — that Ms Willis is using the potential indictment against him as a “campaign and fundraising CON JOB”. Mr Trump has attacked Ms Willis on numerous occasions — with an increasingly desperate tone — including a recent baseless allegation of an extramarital affair with a gang member. In response, the district attorney has issued a memorandum to staff about the new lie told about her instructing them not to comment publicly on the matter. The former president rounded out his latest diatribe by yet again describing his 2 January 2021 phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as “perfect” and that it was his “duty and right” to challenge election fraud as president. Mr Trump wrote in full on his social media platform on Saturday morning: “I hear that RACIST Fulton County (Atlanta) District Attorney ‘Phoney’ Fani Willis, who weakly presides over one of the deadliest communities in the US, with thousands of murderers, violent criminals & gang members roaming the streets while going untried, free, & are treated with ‘kid gloves’, is using a potential Indictment of me, and other innocent people, as a campaign and fundraising CON JOB, all based on a PERFECT PHONE CALL, AS PRESIDENT, CHALLENGING ELECTION FRAUD - MY DUTY & RIGHT!” In a publicly released recording of the call, Mr Trump attempts to pressure Mr Raffensperger into “finding him votes” despite there being no evidence of electoral fraud or other issues. The then-president insisted he had won the state but still said he wanted to find 11,780 votes to clear the margin by which Joe Biden had triumphed in the November 2020 election. The call is expected to be just one part of a multi-faceted indictment handed down by the Fulton County grand jury which has heard evidence of the multiple ways in which the former president and his allies attempted to overturn the results of the election. Late on Friday night, Mr Trump broke an unusually prolonged silence on Truth Social — in which he had predominantly only reposted videos — by sharing his two cents on the naming of David Weiss as special counsel in the Justice Department’s investigation of Hunter Biden. The former president wrote: “David Weiss was picked by the two Democrat Senators from Delaware under “Blue Slip.” He would not have been picked by me. But I have a great idea. Why don’t they use Deranged Jack Smith[?].” Mr Trump continued: “Weiss has been investigating Hunter for 4 years, giving him the ‘sweetheart’ deal of all sweetheart deals. But a brilliant Judge in Delaware saw through it all. Now, I read, the Department of Injustice wants a new Judge and Jurisdiction. But so do I, with far stronger reasons than Hunter & Crooked Joe. MAGA!!!” Mr Weiss was nominated to the post of US Attorney for the US District Court for the District of Delaware by Mr Trump. The former president has tried to get his federal election interference case moved out of the District of Columbia and over to West Virginia to what he sees as a chance to get a better jury. Many of the more than 1,000 people charged with crimes relating to the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021 have tried this and all have been denied as their crimes took place in Washington, DC. Read More Georgia DA Fani Willis tells staff to ignore Trump’s ‘derogatory and false’ attacks Rising political threats take US into uncharted territory as 2024 election looms Prosecutors seek Jan. 2 trial date for Donald Trump in his 2020 election conspiracy case Prosecutor in Hunter Biden case is given special counsel status by attorney general
2023-08-12 22:19
How tall is Tyra Banks? Supermodel towers over TV host Katie Couric in hilarous comparison photo
How tall is Tyra Banks? Supermodel towers over TV host Katie Couric in hilarous comparison photo
Tyra Banks and Katie Couric appeared in a photo together, with the supermodel towering over the host from TV
2023-10-02 14:50
Pokimane's strategic move boosts QTCinderella's viewership to 380K, replaces xQc as Streamer Awards host
Pokimane's strategic move boosts QTCinderella's viewership to 380K, replaces xQc as Streamer Awards host
Pokimane helped QTCinderella with her advice when the latter faced problems while planning the Streamer Awards 2023
2023-07-16 14:27
Exclusive-Amazon's cloud unit is considering AMD's new AI chips
Exclusive-Amazon's cloud unit is considering AMD's new AI chips
By Stephen Nellis SAN FRANCISCO Amazon Web Services, the world's largest cloud computing provider, is considering using new
2023-06-14 15:45