Trump's Georgia case hangs on key decision of a relatively new judge

[mahatmakanejeeves]

THE TRUMP CASES

Trump’s Georgia case hangs on key decision of a relatively new judge

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee must decide if a relationship between District Attorney Fani Willis and the case’s special prosecutor created a conflict of interest or the appearance of one

By Holly Bailey
Updated March 12, 2024 at 12:53 p.m. EDT | Published March 12, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EDT


Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee presides in court, on Feb. 27 in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson/Pool/AP)

ATLANTA — In coming days, a millennial judge who just marked his first year on the bench is expected to decide if the Georgia criminal case implicating a former president should be thrown out or reassigned because of misconduct allegations against the district attorney, his former boss, that center on her sex life. ... Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee was randomly assigned to oversee the racketeering case against former president Donald Trump and a cast of close advisers and allies who are accused of plotting to overthrow a legitimate election to keep Trump in power.

But the case has mostly been on hold for the past two months after one of Trump’s co-defendants accused Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) of hiring a “boyfriend” to lead the investigation and taking “vacations across the world” that he paid for, a claim Willis has vigorously denied. McAfee held an evidentiary hearing on the allegations that stretched more than 20 hours over four days and was broadcast live, including on McAfee’s courtroom YouTube channel. ... Now he must decide what to do.

{snip}

A conservative cello player

Married and the father of two young children, McAfee has spent his entire life in Georgia. ... He grew up north of Atlanta in Kennesaw. His parents worked for Delta Air Lines. An accomplished cellist, he attended Emory University on a music scholarship, majoring in music and political science.

After his appointment to the Trump case last summer, a three-minute video went viral and showed McAfee playing a rousing rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s version of “The Star Spangled Banner” on electric cello during a high school contest. McAfee told the New Yorker that he made extra money during college playing weddings and briefly served as a studio session cellist during the recording of a Janelle Monáe record — though his part was cut.

{snip}

By Holly Bailey
Holly Bailey is a national correspondent for The Washington Post based in Atlanta and covering the South. She was previously based in Minneapolis, where she covered the Upper Midwest. She joined The Post in 2019 as a national political reporter covering the 2020 presidential campaign. Twitter https://twitter.com/hollybdc

[Walleye]

1. Anybody have a guess how he will rule?

[Girard442]

2. He's Federalist Society. There's your answer.

[Walleye]

4. I fear that you are right about that

That’s why he’s dicking around and taking such a long time about it

[Silent Type]

3. Really doesn't matter how he rules now because there is little chance the trial will occur before November.

Both MacAfee and Willis face chanllengers in election, although there is no evidence now that they are in trouble.

I don't think judge will remove Willis. Although he might not say it publically, I can see him being really ticked they created an unnecessary distraction that may have messed up the big trial.

trump is still guilty, pending a jury verdict, but this hasn't helped convicting him before the election and that's a shame.