Georgia
Georgia court dismisses Trump attempt to scuttle election probe
The Georgia Supreme Court has voted unanimously to dismiss a petition from former United States President Donald Trump seeking to halt an inquiry into potential election interference during the 2020 race.
In a five-page opinion released on Monday, the state court rejected Trump’s allegation that his constitutional rights had been trampled.
It was a notably quick decision, arriving three days after Trump’s legal team had issued its petition on Friday to bar Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from filing charges against him.
Since 2021, Willis has investigated Trump over accusations that he sought to overturn Georgia’s presidential election results, which showed the Republican incumbent narrowly losing to Democrat Joe Biden in the state.
In addition to limiting Willis’s ability to prosecute, Friday’s petition also sought to quash a special grand jury report from the investigation that has yet to be released in full.
That request was also denied in Monday’s decision.
The “petitioner has not shown that he would be entitled to the relief he seeks,” the nine-member panel wrote.
The court noted that Trump had not presented “either or the facts of the law necessary” to mandate Willis’s disqualification.
It also found that “no violation of defendant’s constitutional rights and no structural defect in the grand jury process occurred”, leaving no basis to suppress the grand jury’s report.
The rapid nature of the proceedings comes as Trump’s legal team attempts to stave off legal proceedings expected in the state.
Willis has previously noted in a letter to the sheriff of Fulton County that she would announce any charges between July 11 and September 1 of this year.
That disclosure was made so the sheriff could have time to prepare for the security needs of a high-profile trial.
Trump’s legal team said the letter made its petition particularly “urgent”. But it also acknowledged that requesting Georgia high court’s intervention was a long shot.
“In the 40 years that this court has had original jurisdiction over petitions for extraordinary relief, not once in that time has it found any case to have been sufficiently extraordinary to warrant an exercise of that jurisdiction,” the Trump team’s petition said.
“If the Petitioner’s case is not sufficiently extraordinary for this Court to exercise jurisdiction, no case should be,” it added.
Trump came under heightened scrutiny in the state after he made a phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, urging him to “find” votes to ensure his presidential victory.
Trump lost the coveted swing state by approximately 11,779 votes, allowing Biden to scoop up all 16 of Georgia’s Electoral College votes. The Electoral College tally is used to determine which candidate wins the presidential election.
Trump’s call to Raffensperger — which took place on January 2, 2021 — was recorded and ultimately released to the public. It showed the president attempting to convince Raffensperger that the vote count was wrong and that he should announce different results.
“There’s nothing wrong with saying that, you know, that you’ve recalculated,” Trump said at one point. At another point, he rejects the notion that the results were accurate: “You’re off by hundreds of thousands of votes.”
Critics have characterised certain parts of the conversation as threatening, particularly when Trump called the ballots “corrupt” and warned Raffensperger of possible criminal penalties.
“That’s a criminal offence,” Trump said at that point in the recording. “And you can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer.”
A grand jury convened in May 2022 to investigate whether Trump attempted to exert undue influence over the Georgia vote tally, in one of several probes the ex-president and current presidential candidate has faced over recent years.
It disbanded in January and its report remains largely sealed. Some of the state’s highest officials testified in the investigation, which involved 75 witnesses.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He faces 34 state-level counts of falsifying business records in New York and in June, he was charged with 37 criminal counts on the federal level for his handling and alleged concealing of classified documents.
He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.
Georgia
Safety KJ Bolden on freshman season with Georgia football and one area he wants to improve
WATCH: Kirby Smart postgame comments after Notre Dame loss
Kirby Smart spoke to the reporters after Notre Dame loss in the Sugar Bowl
KJ Bolden’s flip from Florida State to Georgia football was a big splash for the Bulldogs’ 2024 signing class.
Landing the 5-star rated safety boosted the secondary and was notable because Bolden played at Buford High where the Bulldogs had seen recruits often get away.
So, Bolden was asked, did he expect to have as big of a role as he did in his freshman season?
“Honestly, I didn’t know,” Bolden told the Athens Banner-Herald before Georgia’s 23-10 loss to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. “Honestly, I just came in with a great mindset. A working mindset and mentality. Opportunity kind of approached me. Going in every day trying to learn the playbook and learn from the older guys. Once the opportunity was kind of there for me, I kind of wanted to take it.”
Bolden was the second highest graded Georgia defensive player by Pro Football Focus after defensive lineman Christen Miller, who announced Monday he’s returning for a fourth Georgia season.
“There’s so much more beyond covering people, leveraging the ball, understanding the defense,” defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said. “There’s an amount of pressure that goes into that. And there’s nothing that can simulate being out there in live games. Lights everywhere, cameras, packed stadiums. I just think his poise and his composure in those moments has grown as he’s gained experience. He’s obviously a talented individual and he’s earned the right to be out there. But he’s made some really big plays and I think he’s just a calmer demeanor.”
Perhaps no play was bigger for the 6-foot, 185-pound Bolden than his open-field tackle on running back Quintrevion Wisner for a tackle for loss in overtime in the SEC Championship win over Texas.
“The open field tackle was cool, but it was just winning the game,” he said. “The tackle was pretty phenomenal for sure, but just winning the game and getting to celebrate with my teammates was definitely the moment I dreamed of for sure.”
Bolden averaged 39.4 snaps per game, allowing Starks to play in the slot and in the box.
“His growth is crazy,” said Starks, who announced Monday as expected he’s leaving Georgia for the NFL Draft. “From when he first got here in the spring to now, he’s just continued to grow.”
Coach Kirby Smart said Bolden showed confidence in making his checks and is “extremely smart” for a player his age.
“KJ has great instincts,” Smart said. “He’s gotten more confident as a player. …He played a lot of snaps for a freshman. He continues to grow and get better. I like his humility.”
Bolden had a chance to learn from Starks, an All-American as a sophomore, and veteran safety Dan Jackson.
Bolden finished the season fifth on the Bulldogs in tackles with 59 while playing every game and starting against Florida and Tennessee. He also had an interception and two tackles for loss.
Bolden has learned from Starks, who he called a phenomenal player and great leader.
“He comes to practice every day 102 percent ready to work. He’s a great role model. You just watch Malaki, you won’t see him do one bad thing. He’s a great decision-maker. Just getting watch him every day, Dan and those type of guys, getting to play with them, it’s definitely been amazing this season.”
Starks was named a freshman All-American by On3. His interception came in the win over Mississippi State but he pointed out he had two other would be interceptions that he dropped.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Next year, I’m going to get them back.”
Georgia
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Georgia
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ATHENS — Georgia has needs. Even for a program that recruits as well as Georgia, not every 5-star player is going to end up like Malaki Starks, nor will every 3-star player …
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