Georgia

Trump Georgia prosecutor’s ex-divorce attorney to retake stand

Published

5 months ago

February 27, 2024

Trump Georgia prosecutor’s ex-divorce attorney to retake stand

A judge indicated the man billed as the star witness in the attempt by former President Trump and his co-defendants to disqualify Georgia prosecutors must retake the stand, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Defense attorneys have asserted that Terrence Bradley, an ex-law partner and divorce attorney for special prosecutor Nathan Wade, has knowledge contradicting Wade’s claims he only began a romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) after being hired.

But when Bradley took the stand at a recent hearing, he invoked attorney-client privilege, citing his prior representation of Wade in his divorce.

On Monday, Judge Scott McAfee met privately with Bradley to determine whether the communications were privileged.

The judge later in the day notified defense attorneys by email that the communications were not privileged and Bradley will retake the stand at a hearing as soon as Tuesday, according to the source.

The development was first reported by MSNBC’s Katie Phang.

The order for Bradley to return to the stand marks a major development in Trump’s push to disqualify Willis and toss the election racketeering charges — one of four criminal indictments Trump faces. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The Hill has reached out to the district attorney’s office and Bradley’s attorney for comment.

The romance revelation has created a weeks-long detour in the Georgia case as defense attorneys contend it amounts to a conflict of interest, claiming Willis was financially benefiting from vacations she went on with Wade.

Prosecutors acknowledge the relationship but deny any conflict. Both Wade and Willis insisted on the stand that they split their expenses roughly evenly and their romantic relationship began in 2022, after Wade’s hiring.

One of Willis’s former friends rebutted that timeline, however, testifying that the duo’s relationship actually started after they met at a conference in 2019. Defense lawyers claim that Bradley would bolster that claim and become a second person to contradict prosecutors’ claims under oath.

At the same recent hearing, Bradley did acknowledge texting and calling a defense attorney as she was preparing the motion that originally brought the prosecutors’ romance to light.

Before the judge makes his decision on whether to disqualify Willis, he has scheduled closing arguments for Friday afternoon.

The judge is also grappling with defense lawyers’ attempt to introduce cellphone data into evidence that suggests Wade visited the district attorney’s condo dozens of times prior to his hiring.

Prosecutors mounted a fiery objection, saying the records do not prove “in any way” that the duo were together during the times listed.

“[A]nd, in fact, on multiple relevant dates and times, evidence clearly demonstrates that District Attorney Willis was elsewhere, including at work at the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office AND VISTING [sic] THE THREE CRIME SCENES WHERE A MASS MURDER MOTIVATED BY RACE AND GENDER BIAS HAD TAKEN PLACE,” they continued.

Ella Lee contributed.

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Georgia

Motorcyclist back in Georgia, awake

Published

7 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Press Room

A former Paulding County deputy’s family had asked for help to get him back home after a motorcycle crash in Florida that nearly killed him. Thirty-seven-year-old Ryan Brannan is back in Georgia and is awake again.

Posted July 26, 2024 10:36pm EDT

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Georgia

Georgia football star Rodarius Thomas being held without bail after arrest on family violence charges

Published

14 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Georgia football star Rodarius Thomas being held without bail after arrest on family violence charges

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Rodarius “Rara” Thomas will be away from the Georgia football team for the foreseeable future. The Bulldogs wide receiver was suspended indefinitely after he was booked into jail around 3:20 a.m. Friday, Athens-Clarke County jail records show.

Thomas was arrested on charges of cruelty to children and battery. He is being held without bail.

Thomas’ arrest marks the latest in a string of legal issues involving various members of the powerhouse college football team over the past several months.

This week’s arrest marks Thomas’ second in the past 18 months. University of Georgia Police arrested the wide receiver in January 2023 on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery.

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Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas was arrested on charges of cruelty to children and battery early Friday, July 26, 2024, in Athens, Ga., adding to the team’s recent legal woes. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

Those charges were later dropped when Thomas entered a pretrial diversion program. Details about Friday’s arrest were not immediately available.

Georgia Athletic Association spokesperson Steven Drummond said the situation involving Thomas “is a pending legal matter. We will have no further comment at this point.”

TWO GEORGIA FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARRESTED ON BACK-TO-BACK NIGHTS ON RECKLESS DRIVING CHARGES

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart spoke at Southeastern Conference media days July 16 about attempts to address repeated driving offenses by his players.

Georgia Bulldogs helmet sits on the bench

A Georgia Bulldogs helmet during the fourth quarter of a game against the Missouri Tigers at Sanford Stadium Nov. 4, 2023, in Athens, Ga. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Smart said players have been suspended and fined through the collective that provides name, image and likeness (NIL) payments to the school’s athletes. Smart’s policy is to not make public announcements when players are suspended.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s right to go down to the town square and publicly shame kids,” Smart said at SEC media days earlier this month. “When that happens, they go through a lot. And there’s a lot of remorse from these young men who’ve made mistakes. But our job is to educate. Continue to grow these young men.”

A team official confirmed the suspension of Thomas.

A view of Sanford Stadium in a game against Georgia Tech

Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

The Bulldogs open the season in Atlanta Aug. 31 in a matchup with the Clemson Tigers.

Georgia players have been involved in 24 driving-related violations (DUI, reckless driving or speeding), The Atlanta-Journal Constitution has reported, including a crash that killed a player and a recruiting staffer in January 2023.

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Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car crash on Jan. 15, 2023, just days after the Bulldogs won the national title game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Georgia

Georgia woman charged with murder after unsupervised 4-year-old boy climbs into car, dies

Published

21 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Georgia woman charged with murder after unsupervised 4-year-old boy climbs into car, dies

A Georgia woman is facing murder charges after a 4-year-old boy died inside of a car, authorities say.

On July 24, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrestedKelsey Monaco, 30, a Fitzgerald resident, about 154 miles west of Savannah. The Fitzgerald Police Department asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the death of the child.

Investigators said the child left his apartment unsupervised and made his way inside of a car.

The 4-year-old was then found unresponsive inside the car. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

Monaco was taken into custody and booked at the Ben Hill County Jail.

USA TODAY reached out to authorities to find out Monaco’s relationship to the child and if the child died because the car was hot, but we have not heard back.

‘This can’t be real’: He left his daughter alone in a hot car for hours. She died.

Georgia woman charged with murder, investigation ongoing

Monaco is currently in custody at the Ben Hill County Jail.

Arrest records show that Monaco is facing the following charges:

1 count, first-degree child cruelty
1 count, felony murder

This investigation into the 4-year-old’s death remains active and ongoing. When the investigation is complete, the case will be transferred to the Cordelle Judicial District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, authorities said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fitzgerald Police Department at 229-426-5000 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Perry at 478-987-4545. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

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