Trump’s Jan. 6 trial scheduled on Super Tuesday’s eve.

Trump to Stand Trial in March 2024

Donald Trump⁢ will stand ​trial in March​ 2024 for trying to overturn his 2020 ⁣presidential election defeat,⁣ one day⁤ before Republican voters in more than a dozen U.S. states will decide whether to give him a chance‍ to recapture the White House.

U.S. Judge Tanya‍ Chutkan on Monday set a ⁣trial‌ date of March 4 for the federal ⁤case in Washington, one of four criminal prosecutions the former president faces.

That is one day before “Super Tuesday,” a ‌potentially decisive date in the ⁢Republican presidential nominating ⁣contest, when‌ states from Maine to California‍ will hold their ⁣nominating contests. Opinion polls show ‍ Trump leading ⁣his rivals by a wide margin.

Chutkan’s decision means that Trump will likely have to stand trial in⁤ at least three separate ⁢criminal ‌cases while he is campaigning for⁢ the party’s ‍nomination⁢ to⁤ take on Democratic President ‌Joe‌ Biden in the November 2024 election. A trial date in a‌ fourth criminal case⁣ has not yet been set.

He is also ⁢a defendant ‌in three civil trials ​scheduled⁣ to take ⁣place over the coming six months.

Legal Battles Ahead

• New York ⁣Trial: Trump is scheduled to stand trial in New⁤ York​ on March 25 on state charges of concealing a hush ⁢money payment to a porn‌ star. Chutkan said she ⁤would consult with‍ the judge​ in that case to work out any potential scheduling conflicts.
• Florida Trial: A third trial is scheduled for May⁤ 20, 2024 ‍on ‌federal charges in Florida, alleging that ‍ Trump illegally retained classified records after leaving the White ​House and tried to obstruct‍ justice.
• Georgia Trial: A trial date for the fourth criminal case in Georgia has not‌ yet⁤ been set. Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis has requested a ⁤start of March 4, but Chutkan’s decision ⁢means that timeline will ⁤likely ⁤shift.

Trump did not‌ attend Monday’s hearing. He has previously​ lashed out at Chutkan,​ saying,⁢ without evidence, that⁤ she is biased against him. Chutkan has warned‌ that Trump ​ should stop posting inflammatory statements online about‍ witnesses or ⁤others involved in‌ the case.

Trump has portrayed all four criminal prosecutions as politically motivated attempts to stop him from returning to power.

He has pleaded not guilty in three of those cases, and is due in Georgia on ‍Sept. 6 to enter ⁢a plea ‍in that case, ​according to a court filing on Monday. That case also stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat.

One⁤ of his 18 ⁢co-defendants in Georgia, his ⁢former White⁣ House ‍chief of staff Mark Meadows, is pressing to move his trial to federal court, where ⁤he might face a more ‍sympathetic jury.

In ‍Washington, Trump ‘s attorneys say ‌they need time to sort through the government’s evidence, which totals ‌about 12.8 million pages.

“This ⁤man’s​ liberty⁤ and life is at stake and he deserves ‍an adequate representation,” attorney John Lauro said.

Prosecutors say ‌much of the evidence consists of public ‌materials, such as Trump ‘s statements and congressional records. ⁢They said ⁢on Monday that ​they have handed most of​ it over.

Chutkan said Trump ‘s legal team should have already gotten a⁤ good start. ‌”Mr. Trump ’s counsel has ‍known​ this was coming​ for some ‍time,” she said.

(Reporting by⁢ Sarah N. Lynch; writing by Andy Sullivan; editing by Scott Malone and⁤ Alistair Bell)