The Fulton County 2020 presidential election interference trial is scheduled to begin next month, which means attorneys will have to parse through hundreds of potential jurors before opening statements can be made.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has ordered that 900 residents be called as prospective jurors for the Oct. 23 trial of attorneys and Donald Trump allies Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro. The pair will be the first Trump co-defendants charged in the sweeping racketeering case to stand trial.
McAfee’s order calls for 450 Fulton County residents to appear the opening day of the trial, and another 450 people have been subpoenaed to the downtown Atlanta courthouse on Oct. 27.
Similarly, in October 2021, 1,000 Glynn County residents were summoned for a nationally watched trial in which three white men were found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys have agreed to use jury questionnaires to screen potential jurors early on in the process.
There are no dates set for Trump and his 16 other co-defendants, who were all charged on Aug. 14 under Georgia’s RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act).
The quest to find 12 impartial jurors and an alternate tops this week’s roundup of developments in the case and things to know for the coming week.
Judge OKs defense attorneys contacting grand jury
In a ruling issued Thursday, McAfee authorized Chesebro and Powell’s attorneys to contact the grand jurors criminally indicted Trump and 18 former advisers, attorneys, and other supporters.
Defense attorneys will also be prohibited from asking questions concerning privileged information, such as grand jury deliberations that are confidential under Georgia law.
Chesebro’s attorney Scott Grubman said that the grand jury questions provided an opportunity to determine whether Fulton County prosecutors overstepped their bounds by attempting to influence any juror. At the end…
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