Former President Donald Trump’s trial in his election interference case in Washington, DC, is indefinitely postponed during ongoing appeals about presidential immunity.
But the judge who will oversee the trial has hinted at a quick timetable once the case returns to her jurisdiction. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has suggested in the past that there are about three months left of pre-trial work to be done before a trial could start.
Chutkan originally set the trial to begin on March 4 but delayed that date until the matter of whether Trump should be immune from prosecution is settled by appeals courts. The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments on the issue in April and is expected to issue a ruling by the end of the term in June.
The judge made clear in her order delaying the March trial date that she would revisit the timetable when those appeals are settled, and only then will new deadlines or trial dates be made official.
“If jurisdiction is returned to this court, it will – consistent with its duty to ensure both a speedy trial and fairness for all parties – consider at that time whether to retain or continue the dates of any still-future deadlines and proceedings, including the trial scheduled for March 4, 2024,” she wrote in that order.
Who decides when a trial happens?
This is entirely up to the courts. The judge overseeing the trial can take into consideration arguments from prosecutors and defense teams about when a trial can happen, but it’s the judge’s call at the end of the day.
Would Election Day put a fall trial on hold?
Almost certainly no. Nothing on a political calendar would block a trial from happening.
Trump’s team has tried to claim that the cases against him are…
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