Judge denies Trump lawyers’ request to delay protective order hearing in 2020 election case.

The Judge Denies Request to ⁤Delay Hearing ‍in Trump Election Case

The ⁣judge⁢ presiding ​over special counsel Jack Smith‘s 2020 election case against Donald Trump has rejected a request by the​ former president’s lawyers to⁣ postpone a hearing on a protective order proposal.

U.S. ⁣District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is based in Washington, D.C., issued an order on Tuesday ‍scheduling⁤ the‌ hearing to take place on Friday at ‌10⁢ a.m. ET and​ waiving the requirement of the ⁤defendant’s appearance.

The order was added to the docket a few hours after Smith’s and ⁢Trump’s teams sent a joint filing in response to Chutkan’s demand for them​ to agree on ​two ⁤dates and times for the ⁤hearing by the end⁤ of the week.

Smith’s‌ team stated that the government is available “any time” on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, while Trump’s legal team requested a‌ delay until next week due to ‌scheduling conflicts.

“President Trump will ‌not appear. However, he‍ would like to‌ have ⁢both his counsel John‍ Lauro and Todd⁤ Blanche at the hearing,”‌ their response said.

“Todd Blanche is not available on ​Thursday, since he must appear for a court⁤ proceeding in the ⁢protection brought against the‌ same defendant, ⁢President Donald, by the Special Counsel in [the Southern District of] Florida,” they added. “Mr. Lauro⁣ is ⁣available on⁣ Thursday, with a preference for‌ an afternoon setting.‍ However, since we lost Friday as an option, we would respectfully request a setting⁢ on Monday (after⁢ 12:00 p.m.) or ​Tuesday (all day) to allow for both Mr. Blanche and Mr. Lauro to ‍be present.”

The joint filing did not explain why ​Friday was no longer an option. The Daily Wire reached out to Trump’s lawyers for comment on the judge’s order.

Last week, Smith’s team filed a request for a protective order ‍following Trump’s arraignment in Washington, D.C. The ⁢request⁢ came after the former president posted on Truth Social, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!”

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Prosecutors, aiming to⁢ provide the defense with discovery‌ materials as soon as possible,⁤ requested various restrictions‍ to prevent the disclosure of sensitive evidence. They warned that Trump⁤ revealing certain information publicly could have a harmful ‍effect⁣ on witnesses ‍and the fair administration of justice in the case.

Trump’s lawyers filed their response to Smith’s proposed ⁣order just before the deadline, ⁢asking for ‌a narrower protective order and expressing concerns about Trump’s First Amendment rights. They also requested‌ a hearing at the earliest convenient date.

After Smith’s team rejected the counter-proposal by Trump’s lawyers, Judge Chutkan ruled that both sides must work out possible​ hearing dates and times.

Trump, who is running for‍ another term in the White House in 2024, ‍has pleaded not guilty to⁢ charges related to an alleged ⁢effort to overturn the results ⁢of the last presidential contest. In a post on Truth Social, Trump raised concerns about Judge Chutkan’s past work at a​ law ⁤firm ⁣that employed‌ Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden.

The ​former president has denied any wrongdoing⁣ and claims to be the target of⁣ a “witch hunt” as he faces multiple criminal indictments at the federal and state levels, including charges in another case brought by Smith. In June, a judge granted ⁣a protective order restraining Trump from disclosing evidence in the documents case.