Terrance Bradley, a former law partner of Nathan Wade, is declining to answer questions about Fani Willis and Wade's relationship, citing attorney-client privilege.

"I was advised by the bar … I cannot reveal anything that I saw or learned," Bradley said. "I am here because I also have a law license and I'm not trying to lose that."

The judge pushed back, saying, "That's a broader representation of attorney-client privilege than I've ever heard."

The debate has drawn the first comments from Donald Trump's attorney Steve Sadow, who said of Bradley's view of attorney-client privilege, "There is no such case law."

Sadow even suggested Bradley be held in contempt if he continues to refuse to answer questions.

Michael Roman's attorney Ashleigh Merchant called her first witness in the effort to disqualify DA Fani Willis -- a former DA office employee named Robin Yeartie, who Merchant says has firsthand knowledge that Wade and Willis’ relationship began before he was hired, in contradiction to Wade’s sworn affidavit -- but Yeartie is not in court yet.

As a result, a new first witness has taken the stand: Terrence Bradley, a former business associate of prosecutor Nathan Wade who represented him in his divorce case.

"It wasn't my choice," Bradley said of having to testify today.

The state has objected to Bradley's testimony, saying it is protected by attorney-client privilege. But Roman's team says the information is not related to his representation of Wade in the divorce matter.

The evidentiary hearing is underway in front of a packed courtroom.

DA Fani Willis has not yet entered the courtroom, but special prosecutor Nathan Wade is present, along with multiple attorneys for defendants in the DA's election interference case, including Trump attorney Steve Sadow and Mike Roman's attorney Ashleigh Merchant.

Two of Trump's co-defendants in the case, Harrison Floyd and David Shaffer, are also in attendance.

Former President Trump's attorney has arrived for the Fulton County proceedings, but his client won't be attending the hearing.

Instead, Trump is attending a hearing in his criminal hush money case in New York.

The former president is not required to be at either of the two hearings taking place today.

DA Fani Willis's office on Tuesday urged the judge to reject the disqualification effort against her, arguing in a filing that Trump and his co-defendants failed to meet the "high" standard required by law to disqualify an elected district attorney.

Willis' office, in the filing, told the judge the law requires him to find a "high standard of proof" that she has an actual conflict of interest or that she engaged in forensic misconduct -- which she says she did not do. She urged the judge to reject the arguments from Trump and others that the judge can disqualify her based solely on an appearance of a conflict.

"The binding caselaw in Georgia is clear: a trial court is not authorized to disqualify an elected district attorney absent a showing," the filing states. "Every Georgia case that has addressed the issue has reached the same conclusion: in order to authorize a trial court to disqualify an elected district attorney, an actual conflict of interest must be proven."

The filing said Trump and some of his co-defendants have asked the judge to instead to adopt a "novel" legal standard for disqualification "that has never before been recognized in Georgia."

"But no such standard exists under our law," the filing states.

The filing also emphasized that, based on the law, any alleged benefit a prosecutor received must be material, writing that a "nebulous" benefit that is not directly tied to the outcome of the case "is not enough to warrant disqualification."

"Here, the Defendants have not even alleged -- and certainly have not proven --that the District Attorney received any benefit contingent upon the outcome of this case," the filing said.