Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election case
August 31, 2023
Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges that he tried to reverse his 2020 election loss in Georgia.
He has also waived a formal arraignment, meaning he will not have to appear in court next week.
"As evidenced by my signature below, I do hereby waive formal arraignment and enter my plea of NOT GUILTY to the Indictment in this case," Trump said in the court filing made in the Fulton County Superior Court on Thursday.
Last week, Trump surrendered to law enforcement authorities at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta and had his mugshot taken.
He and 18 others were charged in a scheme to undermine Georgia voters who chose the Democrat Joe Biden over him.
Trump was released on a $200,000 bond and given the inmate number "PO1135809" by the Fulton County Jail.
His lawyers also asked the judge to sever his case from some of his co-defendants who have sought a speedy trial in the case.
Trump's legal troubles
The latest charges mark the former US president's fourth indictment since launching his 2024 presidential campaign.
In New York, he was charged with falsifying business records related to a hush money payment for adult film star Stormy Daniels.
He also faces two federal criminal cases: one related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago mansion, and another accusing him of illegally seeking to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of the cases.
However, he could spend much of 2024 in court as he campaigns in the Republican presidential primaries, where he is the frontrunner.
lo/jcg (AP, Reuters)