The federal judge responsible for the trial of former US President Donald Trump on criminal charges related to his efforts to change the results of the 2020 elections warned, during a hearing Friday, that she would not allow the trial to be turned into a “media carnival.”
During a Friday hearing on Attorney General Jack Smith’s request for an injunction preventing the release of key documents in the case, Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed to limit Trump’s public comments on only “sensitive” elements in the case, but severely limited his access. to these documents.
Warnings about the Trump impeachment hearing
• Although this case is highly political, the judge stressed that she wants to run the hearings as normally as possible.
• In response to defense attorney John Lauro’s objections to the prosecution’s requests, Judge Chutkan said, “I will not consider in my decision the effects it may have” on the 2024 presidential campaign, adding that her first concern is the “good administration of justice.”
• The Defense Chutkan agreed that the injunction related only to “sensitive elements” in this case, but instead adopted the Public Prosecution’s proposed definition of “sensitive elements” to include in particular transcripts or recordings of witness statements.
• The judge warned that this involved a “risk of intimidating witnesses”.
• She also warned against any “fiery statement that would undermine the jury selection process,” stressing that this would only prompt her to set an early date for the start of the trial.
The former president, who aspires to return to the White House in the upcoming elections, confirms that he is innocent of the charges against him in this case, which is trying to change the election results through illegal means.
In the hearing held on Friday, the special prosecutor in this case, Jack Smith, called for a “trial without delay,” suggesting January 2 as the date for its start, and considering that this trial “should not last more than four to six weeks.”
The defense team has until August to submit its proposed timeline, before a new hearing on the matter will take place before Judge Chutkan herself on August 28.
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2023-08-11 20:21:51
