Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty in his Georgia election fraud case, thus waiving the right to appear in court next week.
The former US President is among 19 people charged with conspiracy to overturn the US state's election results in 2020.
Now that Trump has entered a not guilty plea, he will not have to show up for an arraignment hearing that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee had set for next week.
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The decision to skip an in-person appearance avoids the dramatic arraignments that have accompanied the three other criminal cases Trump currently faces, in which he has been forced amid tight security into a courtroom and entered 'not guilty' pleas before crowds of spectators.
The former The Apprentice presenter and 18 others were charged earlier this month in a 41-count indictment that outlines an alleged scheme to subvert the will of Georgia voters who had chosen Democrat Joe Biden over the Republican incumbent in the presidential election.
Several other people charged in the indictment had already waived arraignment in filings with the court, saving them a trip to the courthouse in downtown Atlanta.
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The business man, 77, previously travelled to Georgia on August 24 to turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail, where he became the first former president to have a mugshot taken.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has claimed that the case against him is politically motivated.
In a court document filed on Thursday (August 31), the outspoken Republican politician said that he 'fully understands' the nature of the offences and his right to appear at an arraignment in court.
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"Understanding my rights, I do hereby freely and voluntarily waive my right to be present at my arraignment on the indictment and my right to have it read to me in open court," he declared in the signed document.
Trump, who is the current frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, appeared at all three of his previous arraignments.
This is because he was required to do so for the cases he is currently facing in New York and Florida. He decided to not request a virtual appearance for a separate case in Washington DC.
Just last week Trump went viral following the release of his mugshot, which drew comparisons to Zoolander and left people questioning details like his height.
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He was then charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as six conspiracy counts over alleged efforts to commit forgery, impersonate a public official, and submit false statements and documents.
According to ABC News, Trump reportedly stands at a mighty 6’3″ and weighs 215lbs.
Topics: Donald Trump, News, US News
Gregory Robinson