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.
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.