ATLANTA — Wednesday marks exactly one year since the indictments in the Georgia election interference case.
Channel 2 Action News was on the air live as the indictment was handed up that night, covering this pivotal moment in history.
A grand jury indicted Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and 17 others on charges they conspired to overturn the 2020 election here in Georgia.
What followed was a series of jail surrenders and guilty pleas, but the case is now on hold for the foreseeable future.
Channel 2 Action News was inside the courtroom that night as a judge signed the indictment, which the court clerk then took back to her office for publication.
Minutes later, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced the indictment of 19 people for racketeering, conspiracy, and election interference, including a former president.
“A Fulton County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment,” Willis said. “Specifically, the indictment brings felony charges against Donald John Trump.”
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For the first time in U.S. history, a state grand jury indicted a former president on felony charges related to attempting to overturn an election.
Following that day, a series of surrenders at the Fulton County Jail took place, including Trump, resulting in a now-iconic mugshot.
A series of guilty pleas and hearings followed but then abruptly stopped.
Dr. Clark Cunningham, a GSU Law Professor, told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot that he remembers the day vividly.
“It was a remarkable day and I have to say at the moment, a terrible anticlimax to that day a year ago,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham believed Willis had a strong case against Trump and the others.
However, when Willis’ romantic relationship with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade came to light, coupled with accusations of impropriety and ethical violations, the case came to a standstill -- halted until the Georgia Court of Appeals decides whether she can continue to prosecute the case.
“There’s no way that case is going to move forward until after the election, which a year ago, I don’t think we ever would have expected,” Cunningham said.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for comment, but they declined to provide one.
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