Current:Home > Contact-usThe judge in Trump’s Georgia election case limits the disclosure of evidence after videos’ release-InfoLens
The judge in Trump’s Georgia election case limits the disclosure of evidence after videos’ release
View Date:2024-12-23 14:56:40
ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others in Georgia issued an order on Thursday that prohibits the release of certain evidence.
The ruling came after news outlets this week reported on the contents of and published clips from interviews that four defendants conducted with prosecutors as part of their plea deals.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote that allowing parties the “unfettered ability” to publicly share pretrial materials undermines the discovery process, during which lawyers for both sides share evidence. “Potential jurors should be limited from exposure to materials that may be deemed inadmissible at trial,” McAfee wrote.
“The likelihood of harm in this case is severe, as extensive media coverage guarantees broad dissemination of any disclosed discovery materials,” McAfee wrote.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had initially asked for an order prohibiting the disclosure of any of the evidence shared with the defense. But prosecutors told the judge during a remote hearing Wednesday they agreed with a more narrowly focused order proposed by one of the defendants.
A lawyer for a coalition of news outlets, including The Associated Press, argued during the hearing against any protective order, saying such a step requires the showing of a substantial threat of physical or economic harm to a witness — and that this burden had not been met.
Trump and 18 other people were charged in August with participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to keep the then-Republican president in power after his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Four people have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. The remaining 15 have pleaded not guilty. No trial date has been set.
McAfee’s order instructs prosecutors to review their discovery and designate as “sensitive materials” anything they believe should not be disclosed. Defendants will have 14 days after receiving the discovery to contest that designation. If the two sides cannot agree on whether it is appropriate, the judge will decide. The evidence would not be disclosed until he has ruled.
The protective order does not apply to information or records that are publicly available, that the defendants obtain in another way or that has been field or received as evidence in another court proceeding.
Defense attorney Jonathan Miller, who represents former Coffee County elections director Misty Hampton, told the judge he had released the videos of the interviews to one media outlet, but did not identify it. The Washington Post and ABC News reported on the videos Monday.
The interviews, called proffers, gave a glimpse into what kind of testimony might be offered at trial by the four people who pleaded guilty: lawyers Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis, and bail bondsman and Trump supporter Scott Hall.
Miller said he believes that the interviews with two of those people — Powell and Hall — could be helpful to his client and argued that the public had the right to see what they said.
veryGood! (38648)
Related
- West Virginia expands education savings account program for military families
- Miller Moss, Caleb Williams' replacement, leads USC to Holiday Bowl win vs. Louisville
- US companies are picky about investing in China. The exceptions? Burgers and lattes
- Social Security's high earners will get almost $5,000 a month in 2024. Here's how they got there.
- 'I was in total shock': Woman wins $1 million after forgetting lotto ticket in her purse
- American woman believed to be held hostage by Hamas was actually killed in Oct. 7 attack, spokesperson says
- Recall of nearly 5 million portable blenders under way for unsafe blades and dozens of burn injuries
- 2024 elections are ripe targets for foes of democracy
- When does Spirit Christmas open? What to know about Spirit Halloween’s new holiday venture
- Biden announces $250 million in military aid to Ukraine, final package of 2023
Ranking
- Jack Del Rio leaving Wisconsin’s staff after arrest on charge of operating vehicle while intoxicated
- Photos of Christmas 2023 around the world
- Man bear sprays carjackers to protect his 72-year-old mother, Washington State Police say
- US sanctions money network tied to the Yemen Houthi rebels blamed for shipping vessel attacks
- Sister Wives’ Madison Brush Details Why She Went “No Contact” With Dad Kody Brown
- AMC Theatres apologizes for kicking out a civil rights leader for using his own chair
- Students launch 24-hour traffic blockade in Serbia’s capital ahead of weekend election protest
- Apple Watch ban is put on hold by appeals court
Recommendation
-
Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, gets engaged to girlfriend Amanda Dubin
-
Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists for '24: Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers highlight list
-
Indiana gym house up for sale for $599,000 price tag
-
Apple Watch ban is put on hold by appeals court
-
California voters reject proposed ban on forced prison labor in any form
-
Ex-boyfriend of missing St. Louis woman admits to her murder after Wisconsin arrest: Police
-
The New York Times is suing OpenAI over copyright breaches, here's what you need to know
-
The Excerpt podcast: 2023 in Film - Barbie triumphs, Marvel loses steam