Jonathan Turley, a conservative law professor, appeared on ‘The Story’ to discuss the recent resignation of special prosecutor Nathan Wade in the Trump election case. The resignation came after a Georgia judge issued an ultimatum to District Attorney Fani Willis, giving her the choice to either resign or remove her ex-lover and subordinate counsel. Legal experts argue that their “illicit affair” could complicate jury selection in the case against former President Trump.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled that the lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants failed to prove an actual conflict of interest in the case regarding Willis’ hiring of Nathan Wade, with whom she was romantically involved. As a result, Wade decided to resign from his position, stating in a letter to Willis that he was doing so “in the interest of democracy.” This has left Willis to proceed with the prosecution on her own.
However, legal experts are concerned that Willis’ involvement in this “sordid scandal” will further complicate the already challenging task of selecting an impartial jury. Judge McAfee emphasized the importance of instilling confidence in the judicial process, regardless of the outcome of the case. John Malcolm, a former assistant U.S. attorney, stated, “Fani Willis’ actions here have made that laudable goal much harder to achieve and will certainly prolong the process of picking a jury that does not have a preconceived opinion.”
While potential jurors are not required to be completely unaware of the case or its details, they must be able to set aside any biases or preconceived notions and focus solely on the evidence presented in the courtroom. Jim Trusty, former legal counsel for Trump and a federal prosecutor, acknowledged that jury selection is already a significant challenge in cases involving the former president. Trusty warned that the public scandal and inflammatory comments made by Willis could make jury selection even more difficult, as prospective jurors may lie about their biases to be a part of such a high-profile case.
John Shu, a legal scholar and commentator who served in the administrations of presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, argued that the prosecution of former President Trump was already highly publicized. The fallout from Willis’ illicit affair and the scolding she received from Judge McAfee only adds further complexity to the already challenging task of jury selection.
Willis has been seeking a trial to start before the November election, less than a year after the grand jury returned an indictment. However, due to the delays resulting from motions to disqualify Willis and the judge’s decision to dismiss some of the charges earlier this week, it is expected that Willis is still months away from getting to trial.
Digital reached out to Willis’ office for comment on the matter, but no response has been received as of yet.
Brianna Herlihy is a politics writer for Digital, providing the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and more political content.
