In a Fulton County courtroom, attorneys representing former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants appeared on Friday to argue for the dismissal of indictments related to their alleged involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

The defense team, which includes former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, campaign attorney Ray Smith, and attorney Robert Cheeley, filed multiple motions to quash some or all of the charges against them. Leading the legal strategy for the former president, attorney Steve Sadow joined in on the argument invoking the First Amendment.

Claiming that the charges violated the defendants' rights to free speech and the freedom to petition, Sadow asserted, "You find that it violates free speech, freedom of petitioning and all the expressions that the first amendment is designed to protect and therefore the indictment needs to be dismissed."

Additionally, there was a contention made that the "fake electors" were not truly fake and that the Electoral Count Act allowed an alternative group of electors to convene if certain deadlines were not met. However, prosecutors pushed back against this argument, clarifying, "They were representing themselves as the actual electors certified by the governor, duly elected and qualified, and they were never that."

During the hearing, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee raised concerns about the timing of the trial, questioning why prosecutors chose August, just months before the 2024 presidential election. Hoping to address potential claims of election interference, a prosecutor asserted that the trial would not infringe on the electoral process.

As of now, no decision has been reached regarding the dismissal of the indictments. The responsibility of making that determination lies with Judge McAfee, who will announce his ruling in the coming weeks.