Trump appeal to remove Willis from Georgia election subversion case set for October, likely putting trial past Election Day

By Zachary Cohen and Sara Murray, CNN

(CNN) — The Georgia Court of Appeals has set a tentative date of October 4 to hear oral arguments in the effort to have Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis removed from prosecuting the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others.

The possibility that the disqualification fight could stretch to October, as well as an ongoing question about how the Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on presidential immunity could impact the prosecution, makes it extremely unlikely Trump will go on trial for election subversion in Georgia before Election Day.

Attorneys were informed of the tentative date after the case was officially docketed Monday with the appeals court, according to a notice obtained by CNN.

Briefs from defense attorneys in the case are due in 20 days.

While the court tentatively set an oral argument day, it is not guaranteed. A party to the case has to request an oral argument and the court then decides whether to grant that request. The panel could also decide to forgo oral arguments and rule on the matter based on filed briefs.

A panel of three judges – Todd Markle, Trenton Brown and Benjamin Land – is set to consider the case.

While the case against Trump and his codefendants is still allowed to proceed in the lower court, no trial date has been set.

A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office declined to comment.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported the tentative hearing date.

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