Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys have requested a delay in scheduling a court hearing for his trial on charges related to overturning the 2020 election. The attorneys are seeking more time to determine how evidence can be used and shared in the case. The clash occurred in a joint court filing between Trump’s attorneys and U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team. The disagreement mainly focused on the hearing date before U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to discuss evidence handling.
Prosecutors have indicated their availability for the entire week. However, Trump’s lawyers have asked for a postponement until early next week.
On Monday, Trump’s defense team opposed a request from prosecutors for a protective order to safeguard confidential evidence from being publicly shared. They suggested that Trump could use the information to intimidate witnesses. Trump’s attorneys argued that such limits would infringe on his right to free speech, protected by the First Amendment.
Typically, defense lawyers do not oppose protective orders as it can delay the government from producing evidence for trial. This process is known as discovery.
Judge Tanya Chutkan has directed both sides to propose a hearing date for this week to address their disagreements. Trump’s team consistently attempts to delay or slow legal proceedings, as shown by their opposition to a hearing date. This also highlights the logistical challenges faced by Trump’s team, as they represent him in two separate federal criminal cases brought by Jack Smith’s office. One case is in Washington, D.C., and the other is in southern Florida.
Todd Blanche, one of Trump’s attorneys, will be present in federal court in Florida on Thursday for an arraignment. This follows the government’s filing of a superseding indictment, adding additional criminal counts against Trump and charging one of his employees in the case. The joint Washington filing by Trump’s lawyers states their wish for both Blanche and John Lauro, another attorney on Trump’s defense team, to be present at the hearing before Judge Chutkan.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Howard Goller)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
