WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump’s federal trial on charges that he illegally tried to stay in office following his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden will begin March 4, a judge here ruled Monday.
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan set the proceedings to begin the day before Super Tuesday, when Republican voters in 15 states and territories go to the polls to choose their choice for the party’s 2024 presidential nominee.
“After considering the parties’ briefings and arguments, I find that the trial will begin on March 4, 2024, which will give the defense enough time to prepare for the trial and ensure the public’s interest in seeing this case resolved on time,” he said. .
The trial in the capital is expected to begin three weeks before Trump arrives in Manhattan on charges related to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels – although both sides in the federal trial estimate they will each need up to six weeks to present their cases.
It was unclear Monday whether the Manhattan case would be rescheduled, although Chutkan said he had informed New York judge Juan Merchan of his intentions before handing down his decision.
Trump was indicted in federal court on August 1 for allegedly making “knowingly false” voter fraud claims, signing a scheme to submit fraudulent voter rolls to Congress, and sending rioters to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a desperate ploy to remain president.
He faces four charges – conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct official proceedings, obstructing and attempting to obstruct official proceedings and conspiracy against rights – and could be sentenced to up to 55 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Donald Trump’s federal trial on charges that he illegally tried to stay in power following his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden has been set. AFP via Getty Images
“Crazy Jack Smith & his band of Thugs, who were caught going to the White House just before the Impeachment of the 45th President of the United States (not sure!), have been working on this Witch Hunt for almost 3 years, but decided to bring it into the middle of the Opponent’s campaign Crooked Joe Biden politics against him,” Trump raged on Truth Social Monday. “Election Disruption! Today the biased, Trump Hating Judge gave me only a two month extension, as our corrupt government wanted, SUPER TUESDAY. I will APPEAL!”
Prosecutors from the office of special counsel Jack Smith have asked Chutkan to set the trial for January 2, while the former president’s defense team has pushed for a start date of April 2026.
“This is a request for a show trial, not a fair trial,” defense attorney John Lauro said of the prosecution’s proposed court date, arguing that he and his team would have to “absorb a large amount of facts” in discovery before he could present a solid defense. effective
Prosecutor Molly Gaston argued in response that more than 60% of the 12.8 million pages of discovery came from sources the Trump team already had access to — including tweets, videos and statements by the former president himself.
At one point in the hearing, Lauro spent 15 minutes goading Chutkan into allowing the date later, interrupting his words by tapping his finger on his lectern.
“Let’s lower the temperature here for a bit,” Chutkan said to Lauro. “I want to know, despite the rhetoric in your response, realistically why you need it this time.”
Trump is accused of illegally trying to stay in power after losing the election to Joe Biden in 2020. Trump supporters were seen storming the Capitol as the election results were to be confirmed.AP
In court documents, Trump’s lawyers cited the 1930s “Scottsboro Boys” case in which the conviction of nine black teenagers who raped two white women was overturned by the Supreme Court on the grounds that the defense was not given enough time to prepare.
But in court, Chutkan noted that the case was brought to trial just six days after the indictment was dropped – and that the March 4 date would have given the former president “seven months between indictment and trial.”
“The trial will begin three years, one month and 27 days after the event of January 6, 2021,” he said, adding that “the trial involving the Boston Marathon bombing began less than two years after the event.”
Lawyer John Lauro and others arrive to represent Donald Trump at a hearing in the US Department of Justice’s federal criminal case against Trump, in US District Court in Washington, DC, on August 28, 2023.REUTERS
Prosecutor Gaston argued for the earlier date because there was an “unprecedented high need for a speedy trial for people,” and said the defense already knew the facts of the case, referencing Lauro’s own earlier comments that the DC’s allegations were “regurgitation” of the investigation. House Select Committee on Capitol riots January 6, 2021.
“He does not want to admit that through the search of electronic documents and other technological tools, it is possible to prepare earlier than April 2026,” he said. “We are not initiating new charges in this case.”
Chutkan agreed with Gaston that “most defendants do not accept this level of consolidated, organized and summarized discovery, as well as other concessions made because of the historic nature of the case,” but said the proposed Jan. 2 date still does not “give the defense enough time to prepare for trial .”
Track all Trump allegations
Former President Donald Trump faces 91 charges in four separate criminal cases after he took office.
Here are all the legal troubles Trump will face as he heads into the 2024 election.
Mar-a-Lago classified documents
- Trump is the first former president to receive federal indictment.
Former President Donald Trump faces several allegations as he heads into the 2024 election. AFP via Getty Images
- Trump is accused of taking about 11,000 documents, some containing sensitive national security secrets, and stashing them haphazardly at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate.
- The most serious charge, in this case, carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Stormy Daniels ‘shut up money’
Former President Donald Trump is accused of falsifying business records in his “hush money” payments to Stormy Daniels. AP
- Trump’s lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence about the sexual encounters he alleged the two had.
- Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is trying to take the case to federal court. He is set to appear in court on January 4, 2024.
2020 election cancellation bid
- Special counsel Jack Smith charged the former president with four counts related to his attempt to nullify the 2020 election.
- Prosecutors allege that the 45th president’s ongoing allegations of electoral fraud that led to his re-election “are false and [Trump] know they are fake.”
Supporters of President Donald Trump storm the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. AP
- The indictment is the second brought by Smith against the 77-year-old Trump.
- A group of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, following his speech on the Ellipse.
- Charges against the former president include violations of Georgia’s anti-extortion laws, conspiracy, false statements, and soliciting a public official to violate their oath of office.
Georgia 2020 election investigation
- Trump and 18 of his allies and supporters have been indicted by a Georgia grand jury in connection with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the Peach State.
- The former president faces 13 charges in the case, according to a docket posted prematurely to the Fulton County Superior Court website around noon.
New York civil case
- The former president was sued by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
- James claims Trump and his three children lied to banks about his assets and net worth in the billions.
- He is seeking a $250 million fine and a ban on Trump doing business in New York state.
(From right) Trump and his children Ivanka, Don Jr. and Eric are named in James’ suit.AP
- In another civil case, Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming author E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
- Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages from Trump.
- Trump was found not guilty of rape after a jury rejected Carroll’s claim that Trump raped her in Bergdorf Goodman’s fitting room.
“Even with the enormous resources at his disposal, Mr. Trump — who faces a trial and several other matters — needed more than five months to prepare,” said Chutkan, a former criminal defense attorney.
However, the judge also found Trump’s proposed date of April 2026 to be “far beyond what is necessary” to file a defense.
“The event that gave rise to this case happened at the end of 2020 and at the beginning of 2021,” he said. “To propose to try this case more than five years later risks the real danger that witnesses may not be available or their memories may have faded.”
Ultimately, the judge gave the defense team an additional two months to get their testimony in order, telling Lauro that Trump needed to “make the date work regardless of his schedule.”
“While Mr. Trump has the right to provide time, the public has the right to resolve this matter promptly and efficiently,” he said.
Lauro said that his team “of course will abide by the court’s decision, as we must,” but objected again to the March 4 date to get his statement on the record for possible future appeals.
“The trial date will deny President Trump the opportunity to obtain effective legal assistance,” he said. “Given the magnitude of this case, I feel I need to put it on the record.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
