# What happens if Trump is indicted in Georgia? (Indicted on August 14, 2023) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [February 17, 2023, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928 "2023-02-17T03:14:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/161 "2023-07-30T15:23:30Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I just noticed his Truth Social photo. That’s pretty jarring. Every time I see it I think of a Daredevi villain named Nuke who has an American flag tattooed on his face. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/162 "2023-07-30T15:28:33Z")
It is the basis of the belief in white supremacy. Substitute “inferior” for “Black” and the thought shouts clearly. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/163 "2023-07-30T16:37:50Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Why _has_ it taken so long to bring charges? I once heard a Mountie who specialized in commercial fraud investigation talk about a complex case he worked on. He said, « it was like I turned over a rock and saw all these creepy bugs I had to catch. When I finally finished, I looked around and réalised I was in a field full of rocks. » ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/164 "2023-07-30T22:39:28Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > > [@bobot](#): > > > > Willis is Black. To a racist like Trump, that’s the whole story. > > I shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s such a _stupid_ accusation. If you’re a white racist, you’d happily prosecute Willis with made-up charges just because she’s Black. So of course in your (seriously Bizzaro) world, Willis is doing the same to you. It’s really no deeper than that. > [@bobot](#): > > It is the basis of the belief in white supremacy. Substitute “inferior” for “Black” and the thought shouts clearly. 'Zactly. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/165 "2023-07-31T01:20:09Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > If you’re a white racist, you’d happily prosecute Willis with made-up charges just because she’s Black. So of course in your (seriously Bizzaro) world, Willis is doing the same to you. > > It’s really no deeper than that. I don’t even think it is that deep. Before Trump’s presidency, being labeled a racist was, perhaps, the worst thing one could have happen, politically. Maybe being called a rapist, but Cosby (and others) seemed to be successful in just denying the allegation. The Me Too movement didn’t really get started until after Trump was president. But, being called a racist is what let OJ go free (as far as the Right was concerned). By calling everything racist, however, nothing is racist. That is why you see RWNJs saying math is racist, grammar is racist, owning a home is racist, holding a job is racist, etc… When a white guy gets a ticket from a cop for expired license plate it’s racist because there are lots of blacks, Hispanics , etc…, that didn’t get tickets (yeah, right). But when a bunch of black cops beat a black man to death (Tyre Nichols), that’s not racist because, reasons. So, it’s perfectly in character to call Willis racist for her to charge a white man with a crime. He doesn’t call Jack Smith racist, because _that_ would be stupid. Everyone knows one of the problems with letting blacks hold positions of power is that because they are inherently racist, as evidenced by Willis’ attack on Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/166 "2023-07-31T04:18:32Z")
Willis says the investigation is done and charging decisions will be announced by the end of August. > **[Fulton County DA says work is done in Trump probe and 'we're ready to go' |...](https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/30/politics/fulton-county-fani-willis-trump-investigation/index.html)** > > Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis reaffirmed in a local news interview that she will announce charging decisions by September 1 in her investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential... ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/167 "2023-07-31T05:39:14Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Willis says the investigation is done and charging decisions will be announced by the end of August. Don’t know why the potential month-long delay. Maybe she has to wait for the Feds to do their 1/6 indictment. Don’t want to trample on each other’s media circus. Otherwise she should be doing it as soon as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/168 "2023-07-31T06:23:04Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Maybe she has to wait for the Feds to do their 1/6 indictment. My understanding is that prosecutors with the same defendant will coordinate with each other to not step on each others’ toes. It’s like the legal equivalent of the Three Stooges Syndrome. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aI0euMFAWF8/hqdefault.jpg "Mr. Burns is Indestructible") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI0euMFAWF8) ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/169 "2023-07-31T15:27:49Z")
> [@](#): > > In a nine-page ruling, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said it’s simply too soon for Trump or his allies to seek to prohibit Georgia prosecutors from continuing to investigate him — in large part because he hasn’t been indicted yet. > > “[W]hile being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation,” wrote McBurney, who spent a year overseeing District Attorney Fani Willis’ special grand jury investigation of Trump’s election-related actions. TL;DR: “This sucks” isn’t enough reason for the Court to nuke this case. > **[Georgia judge skewers Trump’s bid to derail potential charges](https://news.yahoo.com/georgia-judge-skewers-trump-bid-141957543.html)** > > The judge declined to halt the Fulton County district attorney's investigation into 2020 election interference. [**The ruling – 9pp**](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23891541-2022-ex-000024-ex-parte-order-of-the-judge-1) ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/170 "2023-07-31T18:07:38Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Willis says the investigation is done and charging decisions will be announced by the end of August I wonder how that squares with them working the first 3 weeks of August remotely and have asked that no in person cases be scheduled during that time, plus the barricades that have already gone up. I’m bettong sooner rather than later. @DavidNRockies, is this the case that was supposed to be heard next week? Or another one? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/171 "2023-07-31T18:14:11Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > I wonder how that squares with them working the first 3 weeks of August remotely and have asked that no in person cases be scheduled during that time, plus the barricades that have already gone up. I’m bettong sooner rather than later. I agree, and hope you are right. The “before September 1st” might be simply to make it hard for any potential troublemakers to plan. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/172 "2023-07-31T18:26:11Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I agree, and hope you are right. The “before September 1st” might be simply to make it hard for any potential troublemakers to plan. That makes sense to me. The toe-stepping avoidance does not. He shouldn’t be scheduled to be in a courtroom in separate states on the same day, or made to appear late in the afternoon in one and the next morning in another. Beyond that, I can’t grok what reason there is for different jurisdictions to coordinate schedules. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/173 "2023-07-31T18:43:50Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > is this the case that was supposed to be heard next week? Or another one? This is a ruling on Trump’s Motion to squash the entire Fani Willis Georgia probe. I think it was an effort to pull the plug on _any_ further investigation, thereby ending even the possibility of any charges being brought by Willis. This seems to be associated with the second (of three) suits that Trump has filed to squash the whole thing: [https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4128894-georgia-judge-rejects-trump-effort-to-quash-fulton-county-investigation/](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4128894-georgia-judge-rejects-trump-effort-to-quash-fulton-county-investigation/) > Trump has also sued Willis and McBurney in another third suit filed alongside his petition to the state supreme court — an additional attempt to nix the investigation beyond the matter McBurney addressed Monday. Is that third suit on the docket at this point? I’m not sure. ETA: it may well be [ETA2: I’m still not clear if this recent Order in response to Trump’s Motion neutralizes this third suit]: > [@](#): > > Former President Donald Trump’s legal team is trying to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Judge Robert McBurney from any impending criminal charges stemming from whether he and his allies illegally meddled in the 2020 election in Georgia. > > Senior Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuster issued an order on Friday directing all parties to submit briefs no later than Aug. 8. > > A hearing on the matter is scheduled for the morning of Aug. 10. > **[Hearing scheduled in Trump's attempt to disqualify Fulton County DA, judge](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/hearing-scheduled-in-trumps-attempt-to-disqualify-fulton-county-da-judge)** > > Former President Donald Trump’s legal team is trying to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Judge Robert McBurney. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/174 "2023-07-31T20:50:54Z")
[**The ruling**](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23891541-2022-ex-000024-ex-parte-order-of-the-judge-1) is worth reading, the judge gets in some delicious snark. Here’s an example _and for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, a la Rumplestiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic_. And another _It is further important to note in considering injury and standing (or lack thereof) that neither Trump nor Latham appeared before the Special Purpose Grand Jury. Thus the litany of procedural and constitutional shortcomings that they allege infected the Special Purpose Grand Jury’s work are all applicable to……someone not named Trump or Latham_ And another _The drumbeat from the District Attorney as been neither partisan (in the political sense) or personal, in marked and refreshing contrast to the stream of personal invective flowing from one of the movants_. It’s a good ruling, and I especially liked that he pointed out that prosecutors, unlike judges and juries, aren’t required to be impartial and that it’s their job to try to make and win a case against the parties they are prosecuting. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/175 "2023-07-31T22:20:55Z")
I like how he slammed Trump (without naming him) for his “stream of personal invective”. Basically, Trump’s lawyers were trying to argue that the DA should be removed, because she said mean things about Trump (basically that she was going to try to get him convicted), while those same lawyers were pretending not to notice Trump’s vicious language towards the DA and other prosecutors, which resulted in death threats from deranged MAGats. ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/176 "2023-07-31T22:47:12Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > ETA: it may well be [ETA2: I’m still not clear if this recent Order in response to Trump’s Motion neutralizes this third suit]: That’s the one I was taking about, the one with a hearing August 10th. He’s filed the exact same suit multiple times in Georgia and been smacked down at least twice. Disqualify Willis, Special Grand Jury is unconstitutional, disqualify the judge, they’re all being mean to me!!!1!!11!! From one of your links > Donald Trump’s legal team is trying to [disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Judge Robert McBurney](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/fulton-county-judges-recused-trump-quash-election-probe-grand-jury) from any impending criminal charges stemming from whether he and his allies illegally meddled in the [2020 election](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/tag/2020-election) in Georgia. > > Senior Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuster issued an order on Friday directing all parties to submit briefs no later than Aug. 8. So it’s a different judge than McBurney on next week’s case. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/177 "2023-07-31T23:51:29Z")
Prediction: Trumps lawyers will get slapped down on this case as well. Perhaps with a thinly veiled comment about future disciplinary hearings if this bullshit continues ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/178 "2023-08-01T00:00:31Z")
Another delicious quote, from a footnote: “A robust standing doctrine is necessary to ensure that courts remain the least dangerous branch of government.” ETA: Oh, another good one: > And as for “forensic misconduct” – while both sides have done enough talking, posting, tweeting (“X’ing”?), and press conferencing to have hit (and perhaps stretched) the bounds ofGeorgia Rules ofProfessional Conduct 3.6(a) and3.8(g) ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/179 "2023-08-01T00:04:54Z")
The time before this he was given a big fat “no” less than 24 hours after filing. Same basic case. It makes me think of Rocket Raccoon. > **Rocket:** “Question. What if I see something that I want to take, and it belongs to someone else?” > > **Rhomann Dey:** “Well, you will be arrested.” > > **Rocket:** “But what if I want it more than the person who has it?” > > **Rhomann Dey:** “Still illegal.” > > **Rocket:** “That doesn’t follow. No, I want it more, sir. Do you understand?” trump just doesn’t get the fact that he’s going to be charged in Georgia,. “Why won’t anyone listen? They’re being mean to me, judge, do you understand?” ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928/180 "2023-08-01T00:15:41Z")
Missed the cutoff for the final bit of deliciousness, the closing footnote at the very end of the order, which is not copy and pasting correctly, so I’ll just say, do not fail to scroll down to the very end of the order. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-trump-is-indicted-in-georgia-indicted-on-august-14-2023/979928.md?page=10)