Fulton County prosecutors are estimating that their elections interference case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others would take roughly four months to try in court and require testimony from about 150 witnesses.
That’s according to special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who provided the estimate during a hearing Wednesday before Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.
Wade said the four-month estimate does not include jury selection. If the recent past is any guide, the latter could take months or longer. In a separate Fulton County racketeering case against Young Slime Life, juror selection has lasted eight months and no jurors have been selected.
Wade estimated that the case would take a similar amount of time to present and include a similar amount of witnesses even if defendants Kenneth Chesebro or Sidney Powell are severed from the other co-defendants or each other, given that prosecutors would still need to prove there was a wide-ranging conspiracy.
The hearing was being held to determine whether Chesebro and Powell — who have both demanded speedy trials — should be tried separately or together.
Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten argued that “evidence against one (defendant) is evidence against all.”
”The state’s position is whether we have one trial or 19″ the evidence and witnesses stay the same, he said.
Prosecutors are arguing that all 19 defendants should be tried together.
Lawyers, reporters and other onlookers packed the Fulton County courtroom to hear the arguments Wednesday.
Outside, a few protesters gathered.
”I decided to come out here because we need to make sure that our leaders are held accountable,” Queen K., a local activist, said.
Maurice Symonette, founder of Blacks for Trump, said he arrived at the courthouse at 6 a.m. and planned to be there every day of trial to demonstrate his support for the former president.
-Staff Writer Jozsef Papp contributed to this report
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