Regardless of whether Fani T. Willis is disqualified from leading the high-stakes case, the extraordinary detour it has taken may have changed it fundamentally.
After a tumultuous hearing, the Fulton County district attorney earned plaudits for the way she stood firm under pressure but drew doubts about her judgment under the glare of the national spotlight.
The Fulton County district attorney’s appearance follows a day of heated exchanges with defense lawyers over her relationship with a special prosecutor.
Defense lawyers argue a romance between the Fulton County district attorney, Fani T. Willis, and the special prosecutor she hired to handle the election interference case in Georgia should disqualify them.
The Fulton County district attorney, who is overseeing the state’s prosecution of Donald J. Trump, was combative and accused the defense of spreading lies.
But as a matter of public perception, the experts said that Thursday’s hearing did not help Fani Willis and Nathan Wade, the prosecutors leading the case.
Ms. Willis, the district attorney overseeing the Georgia prosecution of Donald J. Trump, searingly refuted allegations that she had a disqualifying conflict of interest.
It’s the latest sign of trouble for North Atlantic right whales, which are critically endangered. This was the second of the species to be found dead in the past few weeks.
Ms. Merchant, who brought the allegations against Fani Willis and Nathan Wade to light last month, has said their relationship poses a conflict of interest.