Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty on Thursday to the 13 criminal charges he faces in Georgia as part of the historic indictment where he is accused, along with 18 people from his close circle, of orchestrating a plan to annul the results of the 2020 presidential election in that state.
A lawyer for Trump also presented on Thursday the resignation of the former president to appear in person in a court in Fulton County, in Atlanta, for the arraignment.
Trump already has a date to appear in the Georgia court and for one of his federal trials
Aug. 28, 202300:33
Several of Trump's 18 co-defendants have also pleaded not guilty in the case and have said they will not come to Georgia in person for arraignment.
"As evidenced by my signature below, I waive the formal appearance and plead NOT GUILTY to the prosecution in this case," the court document signed by Trump reads.
[Trump inflated his net worth by more than $2 billion in just one year, according to the New York District Attorney's Office]
Most defendants who have the option of waiving appearance do so, Brian Tevis, an Atlanta attorney representing Trump's former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said in an interview with CBS.
"99% of the time defendants choose to waive arraignment and not have to appear if the judge allows it," Tevis said, noting that Giuliani would also waive appearance.
Trump's lawyers submitted the written plea and notified the court that he will not appear in person for the hearing scheduled for next week, which is allowed under Georgia law.
Trump already has a date to appear in the Georgia court and for one of his federal trials
Aug. 28, 202300:33
The former president's arraignment on charges in the Georgia election case was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 6.
Trump was charged with felony racketeering and numerous conspiracy counts as part of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation into efforts by the former president and his allies to overturn the results of Georgia's 2020 election.