Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee ruled Thursday in favor of severing the trials for 17 of the defendants, including former President Donald Trump, from that of two of the defendants in the election interference case.
The trial for the two defendants, Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, is scheduled to begin Oct. 23. McAfee denied their request to have trials separate from each other.
The other 17 defendants have not invoked their right to a speedy trial.
“Beginning with the logistical concerns, the Fulton County Courthouse simply contains no courtroom adequately large enough to hold all 19 defendants, their multiple attorneys and support staff, the sheriff’s deputies, court personnel, and the State’s prosecutorial team,” McAfee said in the ruling. “Relocating to another larger venue raises security concerns that cannot be rapidly addressed.”
McAfee’s ruling is a blow to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who had argued the 19 defendants should be tried together, arguing in a court filing that it would be feasible to do so, “whereas breaking this case up into multiple lengthy trials would create an enormous strain on the judicial resources of the Fulton County Superior Court.”
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