The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia has issued a certificate of immediate review allowing the former president and his co-defendants to appeal the decision to allow Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis to remain on the case against them.
Judge Scott McAfee’s latest order grants the defence their request to lodge an appeal but does not automatically stay trial court proceedings which will continue regardless of whether the Georgia Court of Appeals takes up their case.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s lawyers have asked the US Supreme Court to grant their client “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for acts carried out while serving as president as part of their bid to get the federal election interference case against him dismissed.
Ahead of oral arguments on the question being heard on 25 April, the Republican candidate’s lawyers argued: “The court should restore the tradition and neutralise one of the greatest threats to the president’s separate power, a bedrock of our republic, in our nation’s history.
“The court should uphold the president’s immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.”