A federal judge set March 4 for the start of former President Donald Trump’s trial on charges related to his efforts to retain power in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
After Judge Tanya Chutkan announced the date at a Monday hearing, Trump’s lead attorney, John Lauro, told her that they would not be able to give Trump “adequate representation” given the time frame and that it was “inconsistent with the right to due process.”
Chutkan, though, concluded that Trump has represented by “zealous, experienced attorneys” and that prosecutors had gone further than they would in other case to provide access to discovery materials. She also noted that the former president has been aware of the grand jury investigation since September of last year.
Prosecutors proposed January 2 for the start of the trial, while Trump’s legal team asked that it be put off until April, 2026, almost three years from now.
Trump pled not guilty to four conspiracy charges related to efforts to reverse the results of the election.
Smith’s team had argued that the speedier timeline “would vindicate the public’s strong interest in a speedy trial—an interest guaranteed by the Constitution and federal law in all cases, but of particular significance here, where the defendant, a former president, is charged with conspiring to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election, obstruct the certification of the election results, and discount citizens’ legitimate votes.”
But Trump’s team cited the more than 12.8 million records that they needed to sift through, as well as the complexity of the case and their planned motions, including one for selective prosecution on the theory that it was brought by Joe Biden against his likely election opponent.
At the Monday hearing, Lauro angrily argued that the prosecutors’ proposed time frame would deprive Trump of a fair trial. He at times interrupted the judge as she tried to speak, leading her to tell him to cool it a bit.
Trump earlier on Monday referred to President Joe Biden and federal prosecutors as ‘fascist thugs,” despite the judge’s warnings about inflammatory rhetoric.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, a key hearing is being held over state charges brought against Trump and 18 other defendants. Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, is requesting that his be moved to federal court, something that may give him a more favorable jury pool. That could have a big impact on the venue for the other defendants in the case.
Trump’s arraignment in the Georgia case was set for Sept. 6, along with other defendants.
