The election conspiracy case against Donald Trump in Fulton County still has some legal hurdles. But on Monday, the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president will start.
Trump is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in an effort to hide payments he made to stop porn star Stormy Daniels from revealing she had an affair with him.
Trump denies the accusations and says no crime was committed.
However, if the former president is found guilty of the charges in the New York case, he could face jail time, derailing his 2024 campaign against President Joe Biden.
The New York case is the first of four criminal cases against Trump. Another is the election interference case in Georgia led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Former DeKalb County District Attorney Bob Wilson says he doesn’t know whether the Georgia and New York cases will affect each other right now. But he adds, “In the long run, there may be some analysis after this case is over that’ll be helpful to that case on how to proceed with it.”
Wilson also says Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is under intense pressure because of the timing of the case. “At the moment, Alvin Bragg is out there by himself under the pressure to lead this ship forward,” Wilson says.
As a former district attorney, Wilson also tells “Politically Georgia” that he understands the pressure Bragg is under.
“When you come to that courthouse, you have to eat, sleep and drink this case. You have to think through every scenario,” Wilson says. “No one can do that in this case because of the defendant’s unpredictability.”
Jury selection for the case begins Monday. Wilson says both the prosecution and the defense will have a hard time finding credible jurors.
“Ultimately, you’re looking for someone who is fair and impartial and will only decide based on the facts of the case,” Wilson says. “You’re looking for someone with a backbone.”
Monday on “Politically Georgia”: Longtime Republican Eric Tanenblatt and DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond join the show.
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