Former President Donald Trump notified the judge overseeing his criminal case in Georgia that he is waiving his right to appear for an arraignment hearing. In doing so, Trump said he was pleading not guilty to the 13-count indictment.
Trump signed the court document, which states that he consulted with his attorney before making the decision and "fully understands" the charges.
Trump, along with 18 others, were indicted in an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. All of the defendants face at least one charge of violating the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Trump surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail last week. He was only at the facility for a few minutes to be officially processed. That included being fingerprinted and having his mugshot taken.
This case is the result of a two-year investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. She has accused the former president and his allies of trying to subvert the will of the voters.
This is just one of four criminal cases Trump is currently involved in.
He was first indicted earlier this year in New York in a hush-money payments scheme. That indictment was followed by federal charges in a classified-documents case. Special counsel Jack Smith also charged Trump with leading a conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Trump has maintained his innocence in all of the cases, claiming it’s all part of a “witch hunt” and an attempt to interfere with the upcoming presidential election.
