Fani Willis just threw a mighty big wrench into the system in terms of Trump’s campaign.
Willis had initially filed for a March 24, 2024, start date for Donald Trump’s Georgia election trial.
That date would have only given Trump’s legal team about five months to develop his strategy, and it would have also interfered big league with the campaign schedule being only one week before Super Tuesday is scheduled.
Well, that just changed considerably, reported the Daily Caller.
Move It Up
Willis filed her motion this week to have the trial start on October 23, 2023, which moves up the date considerably.
This could be both a blessing and a curse for Trump, but the blessing is very small, that being that it will no longer interfere with the leadup to Super Tuesday.
The problems this presents, if granted, are much bigger.
First, it gives Trump’s legal team only two months to go through discovery. In fact, Trump’s team has already filed to fight the court date, stating, “President Trump further respectfully puts the Court on notice that he requests the Court set a scheduling conference at its earliest convenience so he can be heard on the State’s motions for entry of pretrial scheduling order and to specially set trial.”
If we go on the assumption that Wilis’ request will be granted, that means Trump will be very busy at the end of the year and will not be able to campaign much leading into the first election and caucus.
Another problem that Trump has… what if he loses this case?
If Trump is found guilty and sent to jail, that is it for his campaign season… it would be over.
Generally, it takes a few months while the judge considers sentencing recommendations. Even so, if the trial starts in late October, it will be over sometime in December, in all likelihood.
If you figure two to three months before the sentencing hearing, you are now in February or, at the latest, early March, which still hurts Trump in terms of being able to campaign from Super Tuesday on.
Now, if Trump is found guilty, I would think that would have to make voters more hesitant to vote for him knowing he is going to jail, regardless of when the sentencing hearing is. And believe me, if they find Trump guilty, Willis will throw a kitchen sink recommendation at him.
So, now we have to wait to see how the judge responds to the filing by the Trump team.
This will give us a really good barometer on how we can expect this trial to go once they really get rolling.
