Washington [US], September 1: Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday in the sprawling Georgia election interference conspiracy case, allowing him to skip a planned court hearing set for next week.
Trump's formal plea in Fulton County court means he is not obliged to attend an arraignment that Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee had set for September 6 for him and 18 co-defendants. It is not known when Trump will next appear in person in the Atlanta court.
Georgia allows cameras in its state courtrooms, so unlike his other arraignments, Trump's appearance in the Georgia case would have likely been televised.
Several of Trump's co-defendants have already pleaded not guilty and waived their appearances, avoiding the need to show up in the Atlanta courthouse. Trump and the other 18 were compelled to turn themselves in at a Fulton County jail in Atlanta to be booked and processed.
They are all free on bond pending further hearings and eventual trial on charges including violations of Georgia's powerful racketeering law.
Trump and his co-defendants have already unleashed a flurry of legal manoeuvres, with some demanding a speedy trial and ex-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and others demanding the case be moved to federal court.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has said she wants all of the defendants tried together, and she asked the judge to set an October 23 trial date for everyone.
Source: Qatar Tribune