Charges against former US president Donald Trump's one-time chief of staff Mark Meadows over efforts to reverse the result of the 2020 presidential election will not be heard in a federal court.
The ruling by US District Judge Steve Jones - denying Mr Meadows' request to move his case from state to federal court - is an early victory for prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia.
Last month, they charged Mr Trump and 17 others with conspiring to overturn his defeat to President Joe Biden.
Mr Trump, the leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
Mr Meadows denies arranging calls and meetings in which prosecutors say Mr Trump pressured election officials to change the vote count in his favour, including a call where he urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to deliver him the state.
Prosecutors had argued that those acts were not "necessary and proper" duties for a US president and his chief of staff, but Mr Meadows said they were part of his portfolio as Mr Trump's top White House aide.
The law allows a defendant to have their case heard in federal court if the charges against them stem from their official duties.
Mr Meadows may appeal the ruling.
He could have faced a friendlier jury pool in federal court, which draws from a larger and more politically diverse area than Fulton County, Georgia, the Democratic stronghold where the case was filed.
Moving to federal court would have also allowed Mr Meadows to argue that he is immune from state prosecution because he was carrying out his duties as a federal official.
Mr Meadows, Mr Trump and 17 others were charged in August.
Prosecutors allege they pressured state officials to change Georgia's election result in the former president’s favour and conspired to undermine the Electoral College, a largely ceremonial body that formally elects the president.
Mr Trump has said the criminal case and three others he faces are part of a political plot aimed at preventing him from retaking the White House next year.
He is also under indictment in Florida for his handling of classified documents upon leaving office, in Washington DC for his efforts to overturn the election, and in New York over a hush money payment he paid to adult film actress.
Mr Trump has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty in all three cases.
