Donald Trump refocuses on Jack Smith amid trial delay.
Lawyers Clash Over Trial Date as Trump Seeks Delay Until After 2024 Election
Lawyers representing former President Donald Trump and special counsel Jack Smith’s team of prosecutors will face off in court on Monday to determine the trial date in Washington, D.C. Trump, the leading contender for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election, is seeking to postpone the trial until after the election.
The conflicting requests for trial starts will be heard by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama. Trump wants the trial to begin in April 2026, while Smith has requested a start date of January 2, 2024.
Trump’s Motion to Delay Trial
Since pleading “not guilty” to Smith’s charges of engaging in a 2020 election subversion plot on August 3, Trump has been pushing for a delay in his trial. He hopes to gain the power to appoint an attorney general who could potentially shut down his federal criminal cases if he were to be elected president again.
In an August 17 filing, Trump’s defense team argued that they needed more time to review over 11.6 million documents from the government’s first batch of discovery. They compared the task to reading “Tolstoy’s War and Peace, cover to cover, 78 times a day, every day.”
Smith’s team countered this argument, stating that electronic keyword searches could be used to review the documents, and most of the evidence shared by the Justice Department is already public domain.
Prosecutors’ Response
The prosecutors have stated that they can prepare and identify individual exhibits in advance if ordered by the judge. They have also indicated that a quarter of the evidence contains classified materials, which they do not plan to use in the Washington case against Trump.
Trump faces four federal felony charges related to Smith’s accusations of scheming to overturn the will of voters and maintain power after losing the 2020 election, leading to the January 6 Capitol riot.
Implications for Trump’s Campaign
The timing of the trial is crucial for Trump’s campaign. If the trial were to start on January 2, it would be less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Trump is also facing proposed trial dates in March, including one just before Super Tuesday. Beyond that, he would be campaigning against President Joe Biden if he were selected as the GOP nominee.
The hearing before Judge Chutkan will take place at 10 a.m. and is open to the public and press.
Additionally, Trump surrendered to Fulton County, Georgia, officials on Thursday after being charged in a 41-count racketeering indictment. A trial for that case is expected to start in early March.
Trump is also scheduled for a trial in Manhattan on March 25, 2024, for a criminal case related to a hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
