Updated Aug 28, 2023 - Politics & Policy

First of 19 defendants in Georgia's Trump case enters plea

Rebecca Falconer

The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, where attorney Ray Smith and 18 other defendants, including former President Trump, were booked in the Georgia election interference case. Photo: Matthew Pendry/Xinhua via Getty Images

Ray Smith, one of 19 co-defendants including former President Trump in the 2020 election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, pleaded not guilty after waiving his arraignment, court documents filed Monday show.

The big picture: Smith, a Georgia-based lawyer who represented Trump in post-election challenges in the state, is the first person to enter a plea in the case.

He pleaded "NOT GUILTY to each and every charge" in the indictment, per the court filing.
Smith faces 12 charges — including violation of Georgia's racketeering law the RICO Act, criminal solicitation and making false statements.

Meanwhile, Trump's arraignment in the case was on Monday scheduled for Sept. 6.

Zoom out: Trump faces four criminal indictments, including a federal case in which he's accused of trying to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss that's set to start on March 4.

The 2024 Republican presidential primary front-runner denies any wrongdoing in all the cases.

Go deeper: Trump's courtroom calendar clashes with 2024 presidential election

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Add Axios on Google

First of 19 defendants in Georgia's Trump case enters plea

What to read next