WASHINGTON — A federal judge overseeing the trial of former President Donald Trump on allegations of attempting to overturn the 2020 election has instructed both his legal team and federal prosecutors to attend a court hearing on Friday. The hearing is intended to determine the protocols for using and sharing evidence in the case.
U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan has scheduled the hearing for Friday at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT). This decision was made shortly after Trump’s attorneys and representatives from U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office disagreed on the timing of the proceeding.
While prosecutors expressed their availability throughout the week, Trump’s legal team requested a delay until early the following week.
Prosecutors seek protective measures
The scheduled Friday hearing follows Trump’s defense attorneys objecting on Monday to a request from prosecutors for Judge Chutkan to implement a protective order. This order aims to prevent the public sharing of confidential evidence by Trump, amid concerns that he might use the information to intimidate witnesses. Trump has pleaded not guilty and has labeled the charges as politically motivated.
Trump’s legal representatives argued that such restrictions would impinge on his right to free speech, which is safeguarded by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Trump is not expected to be physically present in the courtroom on Friday, as Judge Chutkan has waived his requirement to attend.
Typically, defense counsels do not contest such protective orders, as doing so could delay the government’s disclosure of evidence intended for use in the trial’s discovery phase.
Defense aims to hinder progress
The dispute over the hearing date between the involved parties highlights the ongoing attempts by Trump’s legal team to impede or decelerate the legal proceedings.
This situation also emphasizes the logistical challenges that Trump’s attorneys may face as they continue to represent him in two distinct federal criminal cases brought forth by Smith’s office. One case is in Washington and the other in Florida, where Trump faces charges of retaining highly classified records subsequent to his departure from the White House and obstructing the government’s efforts to retrieve these records. Trump has also entered a not guilty plea in that case.
One of Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche, is set to appear in a federal court in Florida on Thursday for an arraignment. This follows the government’s filing of a revised indictment, which added further criminal charges against Trump and another one of his employees in the case.
In a combined filing in Washington, Trump’s legal team indicated that Trump desires the presence of both Todd Blanche and his other attorney, John Lauro, at the hearing before Judge Chutkan.