Donald Trump’s election conspiracy trial resumes in Washington court

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

The prosecutors and the defense of the former president Donald Trump They discussed this Thursday the schedule for the the process he faces for attempts to illegally annul the results of the 2020 electionsthe first court meeting since October.

“It’s good to see you, you look rested,” U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan told Trump’s lawyer, John Lauro, as the hearing began in a downtown Washington courtroom.

The prosecutors and lawyers of the 78-year-old tycoon debated for just over an hour the timeline of the case, whose Celebration before the presidential elections on November 5 seems very unlikelyand on how to address immunity issues raised by a Supreme Court ruling on July 1.

It was the first hearing in this case since Judge Chutkan regained control, after the unprecedented decision by the Supreme Court that granted broad criminal immunity to the president of the United States for acts carried out in official activities.

Lauro argued that if the conversations between Trump and his then-Vice President Mike Pence were covered by immunity, then the case should be dismissed.

“If in fact the communications (with Pence) are immune then the entire case is improper and illegitimate,” Lauro said, insisting that a timetable previously proposed by prosecutors would be “enormously damaging” to Trump, who is hoping to stay focused on his campaign.

Attorney John Lauro leaves a courtroom in Washington (REUTERS/Kevin Wurm)

The timing of the election is “not relevant,” the judge said, adding that she “definitely will not be dragged into the electoral dispute.”

The judge wanted to hear arguments from both sides first and then set a schedule.

The defense is seeking to delay the trial until after the November election between Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

The former president (2017-2021) and Republican presidential candidate declined to appear at Thursday’s meeting and ordered his lawyers to officially declare his innocence again.

Jack Smith, the special prosecutor in the case, issued a revised indictment on August 27 to take into account the Supreme Court ruling, which, however, reiterates the same four charges.

U.S. federal judge Tanya Chutkan (AP, File)

Therefore, it was maintained, among others, Donald Trump charged with “conspiring against American institutions” and “undermining voting rights” of voters for his alleged pressure on local authorities in several key states to invalidate the official results of the elections won in November 2020 by Democrat Joe Biden.

It was pointed out that Trump committed the crimes because he was “determined to remain in power.”

Trump was originally scheduled to go on trial on March 4, but the trial was put on hold while his lawyers pursued their immunity claim to the Supreme Court.

By Selim Saheb Ettaba (AFP)