Regular readers know that in the Georgia RICO case, Trump’s lawyers mounted a challenge to Fani Willis (and her staff) serving as the attorneys in this case, but the court only disqualified her boytoy romantic partner, Nathan Wade.
(For the record, we are always going to pronounce it as ‘fanny’ because it makes us giggle. If her mother didn’t want it pronounced that way, she should have spelled her name differently, such as ‘Fauni.’ Or Fani could have just used her middle name (Taifa), like most lawyers who hate their first names.)
In response to the judge’s ruling allowing this Fani to continue to butt into the case, Trump’s team filed an interlocutory appeal. We explained this procedure before in the context of Trump’s D.C. case, so we will quote ourselves now:
Normally, no appeal happens until the case ends in the trial court, a.k.a. the district court. But sometimes it makes sense for the courts to hear an issue before the case is done. That’s an interlocutory appeal. Here, they were hearing Trump’s claim that he was immune from prosecution or that it violated double jeopardy, presumably because if Trump won on those issues, the case might partially or completely go away.
And just as with the D.C. case, if Trump’s team wins this interlocutory appeal, the entire case might go away, which is a good reason to grant such an interlocutory appeal. Thus, it was good news when we heard the other day that the Georgia Court of Appeals has accepted Trump’s interlocutory appeal:
Fani Willis appeal to be heard by Georgia Court of Appeals in October @FOX5Atlanta https://t.co/IYQ0rQF1dD
— Christine Sperow FOX 5 (@ChristineOnTV) June 3, 2024
As you might guess, the Court of Appeals is the mid-level appeals court in Georgia. The trial court is below it, and the Supreme Court of Georgia is above it. But this stuff can be confusing because the highest state court in New York and the highest territorial court in D.C. is also called the Court of Appeals—yet another reason why neither should be a state.
And, for the record, like in every other American jurisdiction we are aware of, interlocutory appeals are discretionary in Georgia. That means they didn’t have to decide to hear this case. They wanted to hear it. Take that information however you want.
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But the real spanking of the Fani comes from the predictable follow up: The RICO case is paused while the appeal is heard and that means it is almost impossible for there to be a verdict before the election.
And we all know this is about influencing the election. Seriously, are we all supposed to think it’s just an accident that Trump was facing four different criminal cases during an election campaign, on issues that date back at least as far as 2021? So in this case, injustice delayed is injustice denied, or at least significantly reduced.
Co-defendant David Shafer, who hilariously argued the other day why the New York City verdict proves you should vote for Trump, had a picture of the order:
The Georgia Court of Appeals has ordered a stay of all proceedings in Fulton County against President Trump and the other defendants seeking to disqualify Fani Willis, pending the outcome of our appeal. pic.twitter.com/980amnGF61
— David Shafer (@DavidShafer) June 5, 2024
Still, it is correct to say that this order isn’t very surprising:
The Georgia Appeals Court staying the Fulton County prosecution seems like an ordinary and normal order following having granted an interlocutory appeal.
— Shipwreckedcrew (@shipwreckedcrew) June 5, 2024
Just like in the federal system, a case can only be "open" in one court at a time to prevent various judges from working at…
The cut off text reads:
Just like in the federal system, a case can only be ‘open’ in one court at a time to prevent various judges from working at cross-purposes or making inconsistent orders.
So while the Fani Willis DQ matter is before the Appeals Court, the entire case is paused.
Not sure there is anything significant to make of that.
And yes, this is the normal course of how courts typically operate and it certainly makes sense, here. If the court decides to spank the Fani disqualify Fani and her staff from the case, during or after the case is completed, it could completely blow up the entire case, invalidating pretty much everything the prosecution had done. So, in the name of judicial efficiency (i.e. not wasting everyone’s time), they put the trial on pause.
Thus, this pause is what should normally happen. Then again, normally a judge wouldn’t sit in judgment of a former president and current candidate for the presidency when that judge had donated money to defeat him in the last election, so ‘what normally happens’ is only occasionally an indicator of what will happen when it comes to Trump.
So, in isolation, it’s pretty ordinary. But the real Fani spanking comes in the timing of all of this, as explained here:
Appeals court halts Trump’s criminal proceedings in Georgia amid scrutiny of Fani Willis https://t.co/lSs3V340nO
— Grizzly Joe 🇺🇸🇮🇱 👊 (@GrizzlyJoeShow) June 5, 2024
In the linked story, it explains that:
The case had already seemed like a longshot to go to trial before this year’s presidential election, with a long list of complicated pretrial matters still pending before Judge Scott McAfee. The Georgia appeals court order blocks McAfee from advancing those issues while Trump and other defendants mount an appeal over allegations of ethical lapses by Willis. That appeal is scheduled for oral arguments on Oct. 4, with a decision from the appellate court likely to take several months after that.
Thus, the only firm date in terms of the appeal is October 4, when oral arguments are set. Unless the court changes its mind about the need for oral arguments or their timing, it will not rule before that date. And we won’t bore you with the details, but even if the Court of Appeals hands down a ruling on October 5 (unlikely), it would basically be procedurally impossible to even start the trial before the election, let alone to have a verdict.
So ... what is going on here? It all depends on whether you think they are just keeping their heads down and treating this as an ordinary legal issue, or if you think this is politics. If they are just treating it as an ordinary legal issue, they might be extremely concerned about problems in the selection of Wade and the impact of that issue on the entire case. In other words, they might think there is a good reason to spank the Fani. If you think it is politics, then the Court of Appeals might be delaying the trial for a number of reasons. You might claim that they are trying to protect Trump. You might claim that they are protecting the election process—that they see these trials as judicial interference with the election and they are acting to prevent that. Or you might think that they hate Trump and they think that the judicial interference in the election is actually helping Trump and therefore they don’t want another verdict to increase his support. We won’t pretend to know enough about this court to even attempt to guess at their motivations, except to say that we think they are doing the right thing, regardless of their motives.
Other reactions:
BREAKING: The Georgia Court of Appeals has POSTPONED all further proceedings in the Fani Willis RICO case against Trump until they make their decision on disqualification
— George (@BehizyTweets) June 5, 2024
This case is literally OVER. There will be no pre-election trial
AMAZING FOR TRUMP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PWixfdOzx0
Well, it’s not completely over. In theory Trump might still be tried between election day and inauguration day. And if he wins the election and they attempt to have a trial after that, there might be a constitutional crisis. Can a state try a sitting president for a state crime? We might be about to find out.
(And since we have seen some people on Twitter/X saying Trump could pardon himself of the charges in New York City, we will reiterate that 1) there is a huge question of whether or not a president can pardon himself or herself, and 2) there is no question that a president can’t pardon anyone for state criminal offenses. The president can only pardon people for federal offenses and he or she might not be able to pardon themselves or anything.)
God is good!!
— Tammie McDonald 🇺🇸 (@TammieMcDonal17) June 5, 2024
The orange guy is already a convicted felon. Try to keep. You’re next.
— KA PV (@KaPeavey) June 5, 2024
Sir, the term is Outlaw President.
There is one case that won’t be pending and that’s @JennaEllisEsq because she plead out. What a damn fool she is. https://t.co/jiXQkqc8n7
— JG (@JGaddis59) June 5, 2024
Lawfare will be the end of the democrat party. https://t.co/iROXVFDmqY
— Bird Watcher (@birdwatcher8675) June 5, 2024
Either lawfare will end or the republic will. Or republic can’t survive prosecutors constantly turning the act of running for an election into a crime.
Good. We don't have to look at or hear from that showboating jerkoff "judge" Scott McAffee anymore. https://t.co/O0aMIouoVl
— Dale Cooper (@AgentCoopr702) June 5, 2024
The Dems already got what they wanted🙄
— Rush Rand (@RushRand) June 5, 2024
Their entire election strategy is now based on “convicted felon”😵💫 https://t.co/Ia35h4xv4r
Hey! We are pretty sure he self-identifies as an Outlaw.
The whole trial was a sham just to try to undermine Trump's campaigning. Trump plays the game very well, luckily he has the financial means to fight the corrupt judicial system. And again, Trump sits on the sidelines and all of their corruption explodes. #trump2024
— Cooking Cajun (@kwvidrine) June 5, 2024
This is an important point. For several weeks during the New York City trial, Donald Trump was told he couldn’t defend himself in the court of public opinion, and he was told that he couldn’t do very much campaigning because he had to be in court every day of the trial. That is bad enough, but if he had four of those cases going on, this would all be a significant burden on his ability to run for President—and we have to think that was partially the goal of this lawfare.
Georgia Court of Appeals just officially pushed President Trump’s trial past the election
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) June 5, 2024
Time to turn the tables on Fani Willis and start prosecuting her https://t.co/eDaI64aOxk
He’s making a good point. A motivated prosecutor could almost certainly find some alleged, technical crime in her tryst with Wade and her decision to appoint him to the case, with enough evidence to bring to trial. If Democrats want lawfare, maybe Republican officials in Georgia should bring it. 'Their rules,' as the saying goes.
They're postponing instead of dismissing so they can still be used as campaign fodder. If he isn't elected they'll dismiss them right after the election. These cases only exist as election interference. https://t.co/uyZNRfzBIF
— Philosophy Wins (@philosophy_wins) June 5, 2024
To be fair, it would be hard for the Court of Appeals to dismiss the case before the election.
Just when Fani thought she was exonerated, & could put the drama behind her…along comes Karma to give her a bitch slap. Wake up Fani, drama’s just getting started! https://t.co/RsRY96MFE3
— AJ4Freedom (@AJ4dark2light) June 5, 2024
Anyone do a welfare check on Fani? https://t.co/lpMz7HSVOE
— Tired of being politically correct (@USBornNRaised) June 5, 2024
And the Democrats have no one to blame but the woman they put in charge of it, I think she was telling us over and over again that she's a strong Black woman, I wonder if she's going to come out and blame it on being racist or something?
— Jeffrey P Jordan (@jeffpjordan) June 5, 2024
Seriously, the current fetishization of black women is weird. We like black women as much as any other category of human beings, but the constant hammer-like focus on them, particularly by Democratic politicians, is off-putting.
Phil, mark my words: she will be disqualified from this case.
— Luisito (@crypto_passion) June 5, 2024
Here’s hoping he is right.
Trump owes Ashley Merchant a huge thank you https://t.co/4R19wVqq0n
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) June 5, 2024
She is referring to one of Trump’s lawyers who was responsible for this attempt to spank the Fani.
It should go without saying (but it always seems to need saying) that putting your underqualified boyfriend in charge of a case that generates more $ for him the longer the case remains alive is not a good idea. https://t.co/b6KSmcJJP4
— Dysert O’Dea to the nth degree (@ucladj) June 5, 2024
Heh.
Talk about the @GOP weaponizing the justice system to stop Trump and his cult from being held accountable https://t.co/yUaqhHmSVF
— J (@RVA_bromo) June 5, 2024
Sure, Jan. This kind of logic all reminds me of the episode of South Park called Butt Out! when Rob Reiner led a plan to kill Cartman and blame it on the tobacco companies, so they can encourage people to stop smoking. Cartman ends up hiding behind a tobacco company employee to save his life from an angry mob, resulting in this dialogue:
Rob Reiner: Give us the child!
Kevin Harris: We will not!
Rob Reiner: There, you see that?! The tobacco company won't give us the kid! And do you know why?! Because they know that if they give us that kid, then we'll kill him! And when our commercial goes on the air, it will lose them business!
That’s about when the angry mob realizes Reiner is wrong and stops supporting him.
It’s the same logic, with this ‘J’ person—assuming he wasn’t just being sarcastic. The courts are interfering which judicial interference with the election. It is not fair for the courts to stop the abuse of the legal system to try to throw the election to Biden, therefore the courts opposing this pro-Biden agenda clearly have a pro-Trump agenda. Or something…
Finally, we get his:
FANI WILLIS IS A VOTE RIGGER!!pic.twitter.com/VW4IttQphA
— Ramble_Rants (@ramble_rants) June 5, 2024
Okay, we don’t care who you are, that’s pretty good, and pretty funny.
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