The Washington Post reports:
U.S. Judge Tanya S. Chutkan has scheduled Donald Trump’s D.C. trial on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election for March 4, 2024. A separate hearing is being held in Atlanta to determine whether Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, can move his election-related indictment from state to federal court.
Prosecutor Molly Gaston just told Judge Tanya S. Chutkan that the D.C. election obstruction case against Donald Trump should happen “as soon as possible” because the former president has been posting on social media on a near-daily basis about the case and talking about witnesses and evidence, among other things.
“This potentially prejudices the jury pool,” Gaston said. “And so under the Speedy Trial Act, Your Honor, we need to find a time for trial as soon as the defense can reasonably be ready.”
Read the full article.
New: Judge Tanya Chutkan in Trump election case hearing is stressing how the Speedy Trial Act exists to also benefit the public interest, not just the defendant — and adds “counsel is not entitled to unlimited preparation time”
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) August 28, 2023
Judge Chutkan didn’t want to hear about Trump’s request for April 2026. This case will be tried in 6 months. https://t.co/G2Iw5HKoTm
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 28, 2023
“You’re not going to get two more years. This case is not going to trial in 2026,” Judge Chutkan tells Trump’s defense attorney John Lauro while discussing the discovery process in the federal election case.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 28, 2023
As Trump’s attorneys are in federal court again today arguing with prosecutors over a trial date, Judge Chutkan has already warned that “inflammatory” statements could force her to speed up the trial.
Do you think “Fascist thugs” counts as inflammatory? pic.twitter.com/BsE0xfRYYX
— Marcus Flowers (@Marcus4Georgia) August 28, 2023
