The Fulton County judge, Scott McAfee, overseeing the Fani Willis prosecution of Donald Trump and eighteen other defendants has spoken. In response to a motion by defendants to remove Willis and Wade, a prosecutor she appointed, the judge said either Willis or Wade had to go so Wade resigned.
CNN labeled the judge’s ruling “scathing” as he admonished Willis for her courtroom behavior (Daily Beast) which McAfee should have stopped at the time. He cited her “tremendous lapse of judgement” regarding her relationship with Wade (USA Today). He also criticized her for making what he called a “legally improper” speech regarding the case at a public event. McAfee wrote providing such public comments creates “perilous waters” for the DA to navigate. This certainly calls into question her ability to conduct her duties as a DA.
One CNN reporter said any one of these statements by a judge would be a career ender for a “normal prosecutor.” So why is Willis not stepping down? Is she not a normal prosecutor? It should go without saying, a prosecutor should not go into trial, especially one of this magnitude, without clean hands and especially not with, in McAfee’s words, the odor of mendacity (Daily Mail).
Ralph Miller
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I thought Judge McAfee's recent ruling that allowed Ms. Willis to remain as prosecutor on the Trump trial was rather odd given that the appearance that both Willis and Wade perjured themselves regarding the timeline of their romantic relationship (not to mention other ethical violations and possible misuse of federal funds allegations).
I then wondered if Judge McAfee's upcoming re-election campaign was a compelling factor in his ruling given that Fulton County has a large percentage of black residents.
Ms. Willis, in her infamous church speech, did indeed play the race card in order to deflect from her apparent misbehavior. One could suggest that the judge was looking to get past the election before deciding that this case of political lawfare should be tossed out and Ms. Willis along with it.
Bottom line, Fulton County deserves better than Ms. Willis.
Jim Nelson
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Mr. Nelson may have thought it rather odd for Ms. Willis to remain as prosecutor (1) based on the appearance of perjury, (2) other ethical violations, which are the domain of the Atlanta/Fulton County/GA Bar Associations, and (3) now disproved misuse of federal funds.
I thought it odd that this sideshow was allowed by Judge McAfee to happen in the first place. I have yet to see where any of the defendants had standing to make the motions they did. They alleged that Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade "colluded" to bring the case so each could profit from the payments to Mr. Wade. The payments to Mr. Wade, using Mitch McConnell’s standard regarding Judge Merrick Garland’s SCOTUS nomination, should have been left to the Fulton County voters in November. Or a separate Fulton County grand jury investigation. To paraphrase what appears toward the end of every movie using animals in filming: "No defendants were injured or harmed by the prosecutor by her private, romantic activities."
Mr. Nelson stated that “Ms. Willis, in her infamous church speech, did indeed play the race card in order to deflect from her apparent misbehavior.” Apparently he, too, objects to Ms. Willis’ right to free speech while likely cheering a certain Presidential candidate’s use of free speech to threaten, libel, defame, shame, lie, mislead, cry and snivel, praise dictators, decry democracy and violate legitimate gag orders. He (Mr. Nelson) concludes by saying “Bottom line, Fulton County deserves better than Ms. Willis.”
But he would not likely bring himself to say that the United States deserves better than the aforementioned Presidential candidate, who was found guilty of New York State tax violations, insurance fraud and bank fraud. That candidate is facing 80+ criminal charges in three remaining cases to be tried. That is not “political lawfare”.
If Fulton County deserves better based on Mr. Nelson’s standards of “appearance of perjury, ethical violations, and alleged misuse of Federal funds”, and no conviction, the real bottom line is that the United States deserves far, far better than defendant Donald Trump.
Joe Warren
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Ralph Miller and Jim Nelson gave what I believe to be factual information about the Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee’s ruling in the Fani Willis case. My opinion is Judge McAfee went far enough to please some Fulton County voters without upsetting another group of Fani Willis voters. That is really not the point of this response.
I want to thank Joe Warren for once again making totally irrelevant response to Mr. Miller and Mr. Nelson. Here is why: Trump is a bad dude, maybe even as bad as Corn Pop, therefore, judicial canons don’t matter (aren’t relevant). No matter what facts I lay out, Mr. Warren will always come back to his form of reasoning, “Trump did it”. I’m not referring to what he is on trial for, yet never criminally charged, rather everything else that is wrong with this great nation of ours. Who could you blame if Trump of a Leftist?
Let’s look at the judicial canons Mr. Warren:
Canon 1: A judge shall uphold the integrity and independence of judiciary.
Canon 2: A judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety, in all of the judge’s activities.
Canon 3: A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially and diligently.
Canon 4: A judge or candidate for judicial office shall not engage in political or campaign activity that is inconsistent with the independence, integrity or impartiality of the judiciary.
I point this out, Mr. Warren, because many on us have grown so weary of the “Trump did it” syndrome that is used as the means to justify the minutiae used to show mendacious behavior towards everything that is not Leftist. It’s like the other Mr. Warren who regularly writes despairingly rants about the Wamp family. Some call it propaganda while some call it hate. I call it old and boring.
J. Pat Williams
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I lived in Atlanta for 25 years so why am I not surprised at the "odor" emanating from their so called District Attorney's office. Atlanta/ Fulton and DeKalb Democrats make Chicago look like a bastion of integrity and Detroit a bastion of competence. Just a few elected Dems who have gone to jail or would have:
Mayor Bill Campbell- went to jail for Income tax evasion after making Atlanta look like a third world street Bazaar during the 96 Olympics.
DeKalb Sheriff Sidney Dorsey- after losing the 2000 election to one of the few honest Democrats in the area, Derwin Brown, he arranged the murder of Mr. Brown. Sentenced to life in prison.
Beverly Hall- Atlanta schools superintendent who avoided going to jail in the Atlanta schools cheating scandal when she passed away before her trial. Twenty-one defendants eventually pleaded guilty in the scandal, all implicating Hall as the leader in fudging scores to receive bonuses.
Ira Jackson- former aviation commissioner for shaking down concessionaires at the Atlanta airport, went to jail for 3.5 years.
So why should we be surprised that the chief law enforcement official of Atlanta lied on the witness stand, violated campaign contribution laws and took trips with her boy toy using funds she paid him with. I mean, really!
Douglas Jones
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Let's be honest here. DA Willis apparently did not lie; and, it appears Wade did not lie either. You forget that if either of them had been shown to have lied during their testimony, I think perjury would have occurred. And in their positions, I doubt very seriously if either would be allowed to remain on the case. Remember, truth rises.
Let me explain something to you. The allegations arose from desperate people afraid of ending up in jail for what they know they did. What they did not know was that DA Willis is not a weak black woman. She's pretty tough. Now she knows how "low" these MAGA folks will go to try to avoid jail. The whole thing was about trying to make her look bad to remove her from the prosecution.
Oh, I just thought of where that "odor of mendacity" came from. It stinks pretty bad doesn't it. As she said during her testimony, she was not on trial and appears to have had nothing to hide.
I also think Judge McAfee "zigged" when he should have "zagged" and let those attorneys introduce salacious information that was none of any of our business. So don't be upset because it did not go the way it was planned to go. It so reminds me of the House hearings on the Bidens.
Renee Smith