Georgia State Sen. Shawn Still (R-Johns Creek) is bucking against the proposed August trial date, regarding charges of his involvement in 2020 election interference alongside former President Donald Trump and 17 others. With Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis pushing for an early August start, Still, via counsel Tom Bever, filed a motion on Friday to oppose, voicing concerns it would clash with his re-election campaign. This legal motion comes ahead of the Georgia General Primary Election on May 21, 2024, and the General Election on November 5, 2024, where Still plans to defend his seat, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
Still, elected in 2022 and currently serving his first term, contends that a trial of this magnitude, even if tried alone – could span up to five months. This stretch of high-stakes court proceedings undoubtedly threatens to overshadow and possibly derail his political endeavours, according to motion details filed in Fulton County Superior Court. Chosen in 2022, Still was not an office-holder during the December 2020 meeting where he and other Georgia Republicans signed a certificate falsely claiming Trump's victory in the state, as Atlanta News First revealed.
Following his indictment, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp set up a three-person panel to evaluate whether Still should step down from his senatorial duties during the legal battle. The panel, composed of Attorney General Chris Carr, state Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, and state House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, all Republicans, did not recommend his suspension. His charges include a racketeering count, impersonating a public officer, forgery, attempting to file false documents and false statements, and writings — to which Still pleads not guilty.
Trump and his accused allies, among whom Still counts himself, face allegations of various illicit acts: coercing Georgia's Republican secretary of state, harassing an election worker, and pressuring lawmakers to appoint pro-Trump electors subverting the electoral will. If convicted on these charges, particularly under Georgia's anti-racketeering statute, the ramifications could be severe and unforgiving. Four co-defendants have so far entered plea agreements with Fulton County prosecutors, while Trump stares down 91 felony counts across multiple states, including Georgia, according to court documents cited by Atlanta News First.
