Constitutional law expert Alan Dershowitz told Newsmax on Thursday that the Georgia case against former President Donald Trump is "unlikely" to be tried before the presidential election in 2024.
"Remember, these two prosecutors, the one in the District of Columbia and the one [in Georgia], have tried to push this case faster than any case in the history of complex litigation," Dershowitz said on Newsmax's "National Report." "In D.C., they want the trial on January 2nd, and a group of former law professors and judges have pushed for this rush to injustice.
"In Georgia, they want the trial within six months. I've been doing this for 60 years — I have never seen a case brought to trial so quickly with so much complexity, particularly in Georgia, where there are 19 defendants, a 95-page indictment, hundreds of thousands of documents. This case cannot be brought to trial within six months or 4.5 months. Unlikely it can be brought to trial before the election, but that's the push. The goal is get a conviction before the election, and if there's a reversal after the election, well, who cares?"
Dershowitz, professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, said that at nearly 85, he never thought he'd "live to see the day when the man running for president against the incumbent is being charged with RICO crimes mostly not applicable and mostly based on very, very questionable evidence."
"The American public has the right to determine who to vote for," Dershowitz said. "I want to vote against Donald Trump for the third time, and I want people who want to vote for him to vote for him. … This is a highly politicized and weaponized use of the criminal justice system for partisan purposes. It's a sad day for America."
Trump is expected to surrender in Atlanta n Thursday night, with early reports suggesting he will be booked at about 7 p.m. EDT. He's not expected to enter a plea. Bail was set at $200,000 on Tuesday, which should help speed the booking process.
Hours before his surrender, Trump shook up his Georgia legal team and replaced lead attorney Drew Findling with Atlanta-based lawyer Steven Sadow, whose profile boasts of a career as a "special counsel for white collar and high-profile defense.
Asked to speculate about why Trump made the move, Dershowitz said the case may be moved to federal court, which would require an attorney change.
"You need a very sophisticated constitutional lawyer to make the argument switching it to federal court," Dershowitz said. "Rudy Giuliani's case probably can't be taken to federal court because he wasn't a federal official. But President Trump obviously was, as was Mark Meadows.
"We know Mark Meadows is going to make that motion, maybe he's already made it. I suspect that the new lawyer for Donald Trump will be making that motion as well and, if it's denied, will be appealing it, thereby delaying the trial."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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