John Jefferson
Left: Fani Willis speaks with cops at scene as Nathan Wade stands next to her (New York Post). Right: Kinaya Willis (Tyrone Police Department).
The Fulton County district attorney is back in the news again, not because of her 2020 election-focused Georgia RICO prosecution of Donald Trump and his allies or because of the former president’s ongoing appeal to have her kicked off of the case based on what she’s said and done outside of court, but because her own daughter had a run-in with the law in late August.
Fani Willis, the elected DA in Atlanta who handily won the Democratic primary months ago, was at the scene on Aug. 24 along with former lover and ousted Trump prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she described that day as a “friend.” Willis was on video shared by the New York Post speaking with the Tyrone Police Department about the reason for 25-year-old daughter Kinaya Willis’ arrest near Carriage Oaks Drive and Highway 74 that evening.
“I’m Fani, nice to meet you,” the DA introduced herself, before authorities explained the situation.
“Apparently her license is suspended,” an officer said, prompting Willis to reply: “News to me. Okay.”
Though the officer did not know why the license was suspended, he speculated it was “probably” because her daughter had a prior speeding ticket or traffic infraction and “didn’t take care of it.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing on the Georgia election interference case, Friday, March, 1, 2024, in Atlanta (AP Photo/Alex Slitz, Pool).
“That’s the best guess,” the officer said. “So, she’s going over to the Fayette County Jail[.]”
The cop explained that Kinaya Willis would be issued a traffic citation, booked into jail, have a mug shot taken, and be fingerprinted before she could post a bond.
Details in a police report first publicized by the Daily Mail say that the reason Kinaya Willis was pulled over in the first place is that she was allegedly spotted talking on her cell phone with her mom and holding the device up to her ear while driving a Nissan Altima with an “acquaintance” in the car. That conversation was apparently about Kinaya’s pregnancy.
The driver, the report said, “stated the reason for her using her cell phone while operating the vehicle was due to her mother calling her related to her pregnancy.”
Cops said they ran the driver’s license thereafter and “confirmed” it was suspended.
“Willis stated that she was unaware of her license being suspended at this time. I then asked Willis to place her hands behind her back, at which time she asked if she was being arrested,” the report said. “I then advised her that she was being placed under arrest for driving on a suspended license.”
She was also issued a warning for “unlawful use of a wireless device.”
Cops said that Fani Willis arrived on the scene “later” in order to pick up her daughter’s car.
Tyrone Municipal Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show that the DA’s daughter is accused of driving with a suspended license, in violation of § 40-5-121, and that she has to appear at an arraignment set for 9 a.m. on Oct. 24 in the misdemeanor traffic case. It’s unclear if she has an attorney yet.
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