Comey waives Raleigh court appearance in Trump threat case

James Comey waived his right to an initial court appearance in Raleigh, pushing the high-profile Trump threat case deeper into the federal system that serves Wake County and much of eastern North Carolina.

The waiver came Friday, May 9, after a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina returned an indictment on April 28. Prosecutors allege the former FBI director made threats to harm President Donald J. Trump, and they say the case is tied to an Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” which federal officials have described as a coded threat against the 47th president.

Comey’s next scheduled court date is an arraignment on June 30 in federal court in New Bern, where he is expected to enter a plea. A trial is tentatively set for July 15. For Wake County residents, the immediate significance is that the case is being handled in the same federal district that includes Raleigh and the Raleigh courthouse at 310 New Bern Avenue.

The Eastern District of North Carolina holds court in six cities: Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh and Wilmington. That footprint matters in a case like this because it places a nationally watched prosecution inside a North Carolina court system with local reach, rather than in Washington or Florida, where many politically charged cases often land.

Comey has denied the allegations and said he is “still innocent” after a brief appearance in federal court in Virginia on the related matter. The case has drawn intense attention because Comey, once the FBI director and now one of Trump’s most recognizable critics, is being prosecuted over conduct that federal officials say began with a social media post tied to a North Carolina beach.

The case now moves from the filing of charges to the slower pace of federal criminal procedure. The arraignment will set the formal response to the indictment, and the scheduled trial date suggests the court is preparing for a fast-moving spring and summer calendar in a district that has become the setting for one of the country’s most closely watched political prosecutions.