Fulton trial of Trump allies nears as lawyers prepare for tall order of picking impartial jury

Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee hears motions from attorneys representing Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

Do eligible jurors exist in Fulton County who haven’t formed strong opinions about Donald Trump and his allies accused of trying to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss in Georgia?

We’ll soon find out. A jury selection process is scheduled to begin on Friday for the first trial in the Fulton County 2020 presidential election interference case when 450 prospective jurors are expected to complete a lengthy questionnaire about the high-profile case.

On Monday, Fulton County prosecutors and the defense attorneys for Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro argued before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee about whether several questions gauging jurors’ opinions about prominent witnesses and Trump supporters should be included in the final cut of the jury questionnaire. On Friday, the first half of a jury pool of 900 has been summoned to the downtown Atlanta courthouse, ahead of Monday’s scheduled opening day of the trial for Chesebro and Powell.