'Taking this very seriously': How Fulton County DA is 'warning' defendants without plea deals
Just days after filing a motion to revoke the bond of Harrison Floyd, a co-defendant indicted alongside ex-President Donald Trump and 17 others in the Fulton County election fraud case, District Attorney Fani Willis took the stand in a Monday hearing to argue her case.
Per the Associated Press, "The charges against Floyd relate to allegations of harassment toward Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker who had been falsely accused of election fraud by Trump and his Republican supporters. Floyd took part in a Jan. 4, 2021, conversation in which Freeman was told she 'needed protection' and was pressured to lie and say she had participated in election fraud, the indictment says."
MSNBC's Chris Jansing spoke with Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Melissa Redmon and NBC News correspondent Vaughn Hillyard during the ongoing hearing about what a bond revocation for Floyd could indicate for the other co-defendants.
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The Chris Jansing Reports host asked Redmon if the judge's decision "that this amounts to a violation of the conditions of the bond, Melissa, does that send a message to the other co-defendants, including Donald Trump, does it serve as a warning?"
She replied, "It does. This constant argument that we've seen is whether or not when you are a defendant in a criminal case, yes, you do have First Amendment rights, freedom of speech, but when you have bond conditions that you have a agreed to. All these bonds were consent bonds. If you violate those conditions, then in that case, there are repercussions. there are consequences to violating those conditions. so, a lot of times what we will see is when you say don't intimidate or threaten — I didn't intimidate anyone. Now, whether I posted something that led third parties to threaten or intimidate witnesses or co-defendants knowing that would likely be the outcome — and I think that's what the argument is going to be. Why else are you making these posts than to get those reactions from your followers and also knowing those reactions of those followers will threaten and intimidate witnesses and co-defendants, then i should not be allowed to say that. It's what amounts to threats, what amounts to intimidation, is what these motions will be continued to be about whenever there's an allegation that the conditions are violated."
Jansing then asked Hillyard, "Part of the legal team for Floyd's argument is that it was all unnecessary. The DA could have just picked up the phone, said we have a problem here and they all could have worked it out."
He replied, "Right, that is the argument from his defense attorney here. But at the same time, the district attorney by going to the court is sending a message not only to Harrison Floyd, but the other 14 defendants who have not entered plea agreements to this point. Four individuals have, 15 have not. So the message is, in the months ahead, either take a plea agreement or if we find out you violated the terms of your bond, we will come after you, and potentially on the line for Harrison Floyd is spending the next nine, ten months in jail before his trial starts. That is a change of livelihood, especially for a man who has a family. So this is a clear message she is taking this very seriously and something as simple seemingly as a social media post is enough for for her to go to the judge and try to revoke that bond."
Watch the video below or at this link.
'Taking this very seriously': Analysts explain how Fulton County DA is warning Trump co-defendantsyoutu.be
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The Associated Press' report is here.
