Atlanta, Georgia

Former US President Donald Trump was relieved of some of the election subversion charges in the State of Georgia Vs Donald J. Trump criminal case trial. The overall case, however, remains intact.

Advertisment

Georgia Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed six of the 41-count indictment charges against Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants. 

Georgia election interference case: What is it about?

Trump and his co-defendants are accused of violating the law by allegedly pressuring members of the Georgia legislature to unlawfully appoint presidential electors. 

Advertisment

Also watch | Donald Trump's Georgia trial could drag on till 2025

×

Trump and his ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows are also accused of calling up Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021 in which Trump asked Raffensperger to "find" the votes that would win him the state.

Advertisment

What did the judge find?

Judge Scott McAfee found a lack of detail in the case as 'fatal' and, therefore, dismissed six charges.  

"The Court’s concern is less that the State has failed to allege sufficient conduct of the Defendants – in fact, it has alleged an abundance. However, the lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned’s opinion, fatal," McAfee wrote in Wednesday’s order.

"As written, these six counts contain all the essential elements of the crimes but fail to allege sufficient detail regarding the nature of their commission, i.e., the underlying felony solicited," McAfee added. "They do not give the Defendants enough information to prepare their defenses intelligently, as the Defendants could have violated the Constitutions and thus the statute in dozens, if not hundreds, of distinct ways."

The new ruling, however, did not address the ethics accusations brought against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis by the defendants.

Also read | Georgia election case: Trump prosecutor Fani Willis accuses defence of lying in testimony

McAfee has said that he will issue a ruling on that issue by the end of the week.

(With inputs from agencies)