A legal expert is warning that Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis could be walking into a “trap” regarding an appeal to have a case moved out of her jurisdiction and into a federal court.
The warning comes after former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ first attempt to get his charges by Willis removed to federal court failed, leading him to file an appeal with the 11th Circuit Court, which is now asking for a brief from Willis regarding her opinion on whether federal officials, generally speaking, are eligible for such immunity of the kind being sought by Meadows, a former GOP congressman from North Carolina.
Georgia State Law professor Anthony Michael Kreis says that even if Willis wins the review, it will be shortlived and meaningless.
“I think this is a trap that Fani Willis should not walk into,” Kreis wrote on the X platform. “The consensus has generally been (and I think correct) that the current status of the defendant does not matter but what does matter is whether the acts that undergird the legal action are related to official duties.”
“Willis should shut this down despite it maybe giving Meadows a defeat,” continued Kreis. “First, it is a nasty kind of textualism that conservatives like and liberals should reject. Second, it introduces more unnecessary confusion and opens the door to a greater likelihood of Supreme Court review. Third, it makes little theoretical sense. If the idea of removal is to provide a neutral venue to persons employed by the gov’t or empowered by federal law from vindictive actions in state court, then the D’s current status is irrelevant. It’s about protecting federal integrity.”
Concluded Kreis: “Willis should politely decline the invitation to derail litigation and upend the removal statute.”
Another attorney and legal commentator, Bradley Moss, noted in response, “I concur.”
Former President Donald Trump is also likely to try and remove his case to federal court, according to reports, and some legal analysts believe he’s got a good shot at doing so.
Trump has been charged with 18 others on allegations they colluded to overturn the election results in Georgia, but his legal team is expected to try and get his case moved out of state court and to a federal court, where attorneys are then likely to seek dismissal of the charges under the guise that Trump is immune as he was acting in an official capacity.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig warned that one main fault with the indictment is that Trump and many of his allies can try to move the trial, which would take the case out of the heavily liberal county in Georgia, though former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ attempt last week was unsuccessful.
“The other big issue – and we just said this word – is removal. Get ready for a lot of talk about removal. Mark Meadows is already trying to do this. Donald Trump will try to follow. In a nutshell, what this means is, if a federal official gets charged with a state crime that relates to that federal official’s official job duties, you can get the case removed.”
