The judge has not yet set a trial date for Trump’s case. It’s expected to take place next year, but it’s unclear whether President Trump will be a part of it if he’s elected. Whether a sitting president can be tried in state court will likely be contested in a higher court and could ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.
Campaign finance records show Judge McAfee had raised more than $327,000 as of May 2, including $100,000 he donated to his own campaign. Mr. Patillo raised about $11,800, records show. A third candidate, Tiffani Johnson, who, like Ms. Patillo, is Black and a Democrat, raised more than $17,000. But Ms. Johnson had her eligibility revoked for failing to meet residency requirements, and she is trying to have this decision overturned.
On the first Sunday in May, Judge McAfee, his wife, and one of their two children attended Antioch Baptist Church North in Bankhead, a historically black neighborhood in Atlanta. They received a warm welcome there.
“You have a job most people don’t want to have,” said Rev. Kenneth Lamont Alexander, addressing Judge McAfee from the podium. “We are praying for you and your family.” The crowd clapped.
The judge said he was looking forward to winning and “getting back to work.” An accomplished cellist who doesn’t use the instrument much these days, he said several friends have asked him to play at their wedding in Charleston, South Carolina, over Memorial Day weekend. If he wins, he said, he will one day be able to both officiate and officiate at weddings.
“I only play the cello now,” he said.
