The judge overseeing the Georgia election subversion case involving former President Trump on Wednesday denied requests from two of the 19 defendants to be tried alone, instead saying the pair would be tried together starting next month .

Because attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell have both filed requests for a speedy trial, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said their trial would begin in October. 23, but he seemed skeptical of the prosecution’s arguments that all 19 defendants could be tried together so quickly.

The hearing provided some insight into how the case might proceed, with prosecutors estimating a trial would take four months and they would call more than 150 witnesses. It was also broadcast live on television and on the judge’s YouTube channel, a marked departure from the other three criminal cases against Trump, which do not allow cameras in the courtroom during the proceedings.

Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade, who provided the four-month estimate, said it did not include jury selection, adding that whether or not defendants choose to testify could affect the timing. But he said he expects a trial to take that long no matter how many defendants are in it, arguing that the trial falls under Georgia’s anti-extortion law.

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Fani Willis said she wants to try all 19 defendants together. But the legal maneuvering that has already begun in the three weeks since the indictment was filed underscores the logistical complexity inherent in such a massive indictment with so many defendants.

Some of the defendants are already trying to speed up the process by trying to separate themselves from the others charged with the alleged conspiracy, while others are trying to move the charges against them from a state court to a federal court. They have all pleaded not guilty.

The judge said he would try Chesebro and Powell together and abide by October’s order. The trial date of March 23 has already been set for Chesebro to meet their demands for a speedy trial. He gave prosecutors until Tuesday to explain whether it should be a trial of two or 19 suspects.

Lawyers for Chesebro and Powell separately argued that their clients do not know each other and are not accused in the indictment of participating in the same acts. They said it would amount to running two different trials at the same time and the unrelated evidence against one could taint the other.

Several other defendants have also asked to be tried individually or in small groups, and Trump, the first front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential election, has asked to be tried separately from anyone demanding a speedy trial.

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Taff Mark Meadows was in federal court last week arguing that he was acting in his capacity as a federal official and that his case should be heard by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones has yet to rule on that request. Four other defendants who also want to move their cases to federal court will appear before Jones later this month.

Wherever and whenever there is ultimately a trial in the case, the selection of jurors is likely to be a major challenge. Jury selection in a racketeering and gang trial filed by Willis last year began in January and is still ongoing. In another big extortion case

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Willis filed a lawsuit against former Atlanta public school teachers nearly a decade ago. It took six weeks for a jury to convene.

The Willis team asked McAfee on Tuesday to allow the use of a jury questionnaire that potential jurors would have completed before appearing for jury selection. It was written in a lawsuit that this will facilitate and streamline the jury selection process in many ways. Prospective jurors may feel more comfortable answering personal questions on paper than in a public courtroom, and attorneys for both sides could agree that certain jurors are not qualified without additional questions, prosecutors said.