The Trump Georgia case was never going to be short and sweet. It was an impossibility from the start as there are over a dozen co-defendants. We knew this case would have severance hearings, which did occur. A judge ruled that none of the defendants could be tried simultaneously, despite Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s objections. Yet, this case is already leaking like a sieve, with The New York Times obtaining emails between the prosecution and defense teams in which a nasty debate about racism and the respect of black attorneys erupted. You knew the Times was going to pounce on these communications (via NYT):
An exchange between the lawyers in the Georgia criminal case against former President Donald J. Trump grew testy last week, with Fani T. Willis, the district attorney leading the prosecution, telling the defense lawyers in an email that “some people will never be able to respect African Americans.”
The email exchange, portions of which were obtained by The New York Times, unfolded in the days before and after a co-defendant of Mr. Trump’s accused Ms. Willis of being in a romantic relationship with the outside lawyer she hired as a special prosecutor to manage the case. The emails suggest that even before the explosive allegations emerged, conversations between the two sides were becoming strained.
[…]
The recent tense exchange unfolded in a group email thread that includes prosecutors and defense lawyers in the case. It began when the lead lawyer for Mr. Trump in Georgia, Steven H. Sadow, expressed annoyance with prosecutors for ignoring a request he had made. On Jan. 5, he wrote to prosecutors: “For the life of me, I cannot understand why you refuse to respond to the series of emails below.”
Five days later, Daysha Young, an executive district attorney who, like Ms. Willis, is Black, wrote that she and Ms. Willis “are both aware, especially as an African American woman some find it difficult to treat us respectfully.”
She added, “Over the last month the emails of some of you have been disrespectful and condescending lacking both professionalism and decorum.” Ms. Young also said that she did not respond to some emails because they were disrespectful.
Mr. Sadow, who is white, responded with an email in which he said that it was “offensive, uncalled for and untrue” to suggest that racism was at play. He also said that Ms. Young’s lack of response to some emails from the defense “suggests a degree of haughtiness.”
Then Ms. Willis weighed in.
“In the legal community (and the world at large) some people will never be able to respect African Americans and/or women as their equal and counterpart,” she wrote in a note addressed to Mr. Sadow but sent to all of the defense lawyers, most of whom are white men. “That is a burden you do not experience. Further, some are so used to doing it they are not even aware they are doing it while others are intentional in their continued disrespect.”
As Rebecca wrote today, a hearing is scheduled regarding the ethical quandaries the Fulton County DA’s office is experiencing, all of which are self-inflicted. Ms. Willis is in a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, who was appointed top prosecutor in the Trump case. The pair also allegedly took lavish vacations paid for by funds appropriated to Wade’s law firm by the county. Mr. Wade could be tossed from the case. The hearing is set for February 15. The judge has ordered Willis to file a response to the motion by February 2 and make an appearance, which will be televised.
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