Sidney Powell second co-defendant to demand speedy trial in Georgia election interference case

ATLANTA - Another defendant in the RICO case against former President Donald Trump and 19 others accused of illegally scheming to overturn the 2020 election in the Georgia has asked for a speedy trial.

Thursday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis responding to a request by Kenneth John Chesebro which requested a speedy trial, move the date from March 2024 to Oct. 23, 2023, which falls within the term of the "next succeeding regular court term" after the July-August, 2023 term of the Superior Court of Fulton County, Atlanta Judicial Circuit, as contemplated by…" the motion reads in part.

FULTON COUNTY DA FILES MOTION TO MOVE UP GEORGIA ELECTION INTERFERENCE TRIAL; TRUMP RESPONDS

Attorneys for Sidney Powell, one of Trump’s former personal attorneys who had been advising the former president following his 2020 defeat, filed their own demand for a speedy trial.

Trump’s attorneys filed a motion on Thursday responding to the DA’s request to move the trial. His lawyers say he opposes the DA’s proposal to move the trial date and asked for a scheduling conference.

FULTON COUNTY JAIL WOES: TRUMP'S SURRENDER SHINES NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS

DA Willis has said she had planned to try all 19 co-defendants at the same time.

Ahead of surrender, Trump hired a new lead attorney for the Georgia case, prominent Atlanta criminal defense attorney Steve Sadow. 

Sadow, who has represented a rapper, Gunna, who pleaded guilty last year in a racketeering case also brought by Willis, said in a statement that "the president should never have been indicted. He is innocent of all the charges brought against him."

TRUMP INDICTMENTS: ALL 19 DEFENDANTS SURRENDER AT GEORGIA JAIL BEFORE DEADLINE

The Fulton County prosecution is the fourth criminal case against Trump since March, when he became the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted. Since then, he’s faced federal charges in Florida and Washington, and this month he was indicted in Atlanta with 18 others — including his ex-chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani — under a racketeering statute normally associated with gang members and organized crime. Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer and confidant, turned himself in on Wednesday and had a booking photo taken.

Ahead of his expected surrender, Trump hired a new lead attorney for the Georgia case, prominent Atlanta criminal defense attorney Steve Sadow. 

Sadow, who has represented a rapper, Gunna, who pleaded guilty last year in a racketeering case also brought by Willis, said in a statement that "the president should never have been indicted. He is innocent of all the charges brought against him."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.