Former President Donald Trump asserted his innocence today, Thursday, and waived his appearance in the case that accuses him and others of attempting to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
This means he will not have to attend a hearing set by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee next week.

The decision to skip the personal appearance avoids the dramatic charges that accompanied the other three criminal cases Trump faces, where the former president was forced to enter the courtroom under heavy security and plead "not guilty" in front of crowds of onlookers.

Trump and 18 others were indicted earlier this month in a 41-count indictment outlining an alleged scheme to undermine the will of Georgia voters who chose Democrat Joe Biden over the Republican candidate in the presidential election.

Many of the other individuals charged in the indictment had already waived their arraignment in court proceedings, saving them a trip to court in downtown Atlanta. Trump previously traveled to Georgia on August 24 to surrender at the Fulton County Jail, where he became the first former president to have a mugshot taken.

The case, brought under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, is expected to present complex logistics for the trial. Legal maneuvering by many defendants has already begun.