Judge unexpectedly dismisses six charges in Trump’s Georgia case

SEMAFOR:  In an unexpected move on Wednesday, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case in Georgia dismissed six of the charges, including three counts against Trump.

Judge Scott McAfee of Fulton Superior Court said the counts in question were too vague: “They do not give the Defendants enough information to prepare their defenses intelligently, as the Defendants could have violated the Constitution and thus the statute in dozens, if not hundreds, of distinct ways,” he wrote.

The dismissed charges pertain to soliciting elected officials to violate their oaths of office, including two counts related to Trump’s infamous phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, in which the then-president said:“I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.”

McAfee said prosecutors could seek a new indictment for the dismissed charges. This marks the first time charges in any of the criminal cases against Trump have been dismissed, notching a win for his team and another setback for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis who is awaiting a verdict on whether she could be dismissed from prosecuting the case over a romantic relationship with her colleague.