Special Counsel Jack Smith calls for Trump’s 2020 election process to begin January 2 — and suggests it could take SIX WEEKS
- The trial was scheduled to run through the Iowa Caucuses scheduled for January 15
- Smith calls for ‘suitably expeditious process’
- Trump’s lawyers have asked for time to review the amount of evidence
Special Counsel Jack Smith has proposed a “speedy trial” against former President Donald Trump — one that would begin early in the new year and likely run through the Iowa caucuses.
Timing is everything on the fast-filling judicial calendar as courts juggle numerous charges against Trump in various jurisdictions.
On the federal charges related to Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, Smith has drafted a compact speed suit — now telling a federal judge that prosecutors can turn over evidence within days and begin proceedings before Christmas selecting a jury.
Special Counsel Jack Smith calls for Trump’s January 6 trial on related charges to begin January 2, with a filing saying a trial could take six weeks
“A trial date of January 2, 2024, represents an appropriately expeditious trial in the public interest and in the interests of justice, while allowing time for the defendant to prepare his defense and raise legal issues prior to trial,” he wrote. in a Thursday filing with U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.
The proposed schedule would give Trump’s lawyers two months after the indictment to file motions, and five months to review discovery materials that prosecutors are required to share, Smith wrote.
In a footnote, he referenced Trump attorney John Lauro’s media tour — arguing that it showed he’s already ready for a fast pace.
“It appears that counsel is already planning what motions the defendant will file,” he wrote, referring to Lauro’s appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Trump’s team was already characterizing the vast amount of evidence during his first arraignment last week and was looking for a slower time frame.
Both sides are in a sparring match over the “Speedy Trial Act,” which sets the clock ticking when a trial must begin, usually 70 days after an indictment is unsealed.
Trump’s lawyers are due to appear in court in DC on Friday
Smith’s application came as Republican presidential candidates, including North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, showed up at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Trump (seen on a poster) is expected to visit
That comes against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential election, where the first GOP debate is just two weeks away, and the Iowa Caucuses are scheduled for January 15.
Smith says the trial itself would take about four to six weeks, with a ruling before Super Tuesday in March.
U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan could move the case forward, even though a Trump-appointed judge has the authority to set the schedule in the case with complex classified documents
Smith argues that the Speedy Trial Act is not only intended to protect the rights of the accused, but that “the right to a timely trial rests with the public, not just with the accused.”
He says it reduces the likelihood of suspects committing crimes while on remand and prevents extended delays from undermining the deterrent effect of the sentence.
A US magistrate has released Trump on bail following his arraignment.
Judge Chutkan has the option to keep Trump’s Jan. 6 case, which charges him with obstructing official proceedings, conspiracy to obstruct the election count, conspiracy to defraud the government, and conspiracy to violate civil rights related to the vote violation.
Meanwhile, in Florida, where a Trump lawyer again pleaded not guilty on his behalf on Thursday, Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon has the power to craft a more deliberate schedule in the complex classified documents case.