Jury selection will soon begin in Fulton County, Georgia for the highly anticipated racketeering case alleging a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. Former President Donald J. Trump, the star defendant, won't be present, but cameras will be in the courtroom to capture the proceedings. Instead, two of the lawyers who fought to keep Trump in power after the election, Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, will be on trial. They were the only defendants to seek speedy trials, as allowed by Georgia law.

While Trump may not physically be in the courtroom, his presence will loom large over the trial. Racketeering cases work in a way that implicates all defendants in the conspiracy, meaning Trump's actions and role will be heavily scrutinized. Prosecutors will focus on presenting a case against a "criminal organization" that committed various crimes, including computer theft, perjury, filing false documents, and impersonating public officers, all with the goal of changing the election outcome in Trump's favor.

The trial, scheduled to begin on October 23, will also serve as a preview of what may come for Trump when he eventually faces a jury. His Atlanta lawyer, Steven H. Sadow, will be closely observing the proceedings. Sadow has been present at pretrial hearings for other defendants, sometimes making humorous remarks. During a recent hearing, he joked about creating lapel pins featuring Trump's widely distributed mug shot.

The indictment against Chesebro and Powell outlines a broad effort to keep Trump in power, including appeals he made to Georgia's Republican leaders to help him find enough votes to overturn his defeat. Additionally, there were attempts to harass election workers accused of fraud and false claims about the election spread by a Trump ally at the Justice Department. Powell played a major role in organizing efforts to infiltrate a rural Georgia county's elections office, where sensitive software used in voting machines was copied.

One defendant, Scott Hall, a Georgia bail bondsman, recently accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to five misdemeanors, receiving five years of probation. Another defendant, Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign staffer, rejected a plea offer. The differing approaches of these defendants highlight the diversity within the group.

Chesebro, a Harvard Law graduate from Wisconsin, worked behind the scenes, devising the legal theory that drove the recruitment of fake electors in swing states. His defense argues that his actions were protected by the First Amendment and that he was acting within his capacity as a lawyer by offering his legal opinion to the Trump campaign. Prosecutors take issue with the fact that the fake electors referred to themselves as "duly elected and qualified," contradicting the official electoral votes awarded to Biden.

The trial in Atlanta is significant not only because it targets the former president but also because it involves many of his former advisors. Unlike other criminal trials Trump is facing, these proceedings will provide a televised window into the historic prosecutions of a former president and his associates. However, there is still a chance that the trial may not take place or that the timing could shift, as several defendants have sought to move the proceedings to federal court.

Keith Adams, an Atlanta defense lawyer and former prosecutor, believes that defense lawyers like him have an advantage in cases with many defendants and staggered trials. They can observe the strategies and arguments presented in the first trial and tailor their defense accordingly for subsequent trials.

Overall, the upcoming trial in Fulton County will shed light on the alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. While Trump won't be physically present, his influence and actions will be thoroughly examined. The outcome of this trial may provide insights into what lies ahead for the former president when he eventually faces a jury.