1/ Trump’s trial on federal charges that he conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss will start March 4 – two years sooner than he requested and one day before Super Tuesday, when 14 states hold their presidential primaries. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan refused Trump’s request to push off the trial until April 2026, saying that was “far beyond what is necessary” and that “setting a trial date does not depend and should not depend on the defendant’s personal or professional obligations.” Chutkan added: “The public has a right to a prompt and efficient resolution of this matter,” noting that “there is a societal interest to a speedy trial.” A federal grand jury indicted Trump on four charges this month: conspiracy to defraud the U.S.; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction; and conspiracy against the right to vote and to have one’s vote counted. Elsewhere, Trump’s criminal trial in New York on charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments is set for March 25. And in Florida, special counsel Jack Smith’s case accusing Trump of mishandling classified records is set for May 20. In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis requested that Trump’s racketeering trial start Oct. 23, 2023. Willis initially proposed a March 4 start date, but one Trump’s co-defendants, Kenneth Chesebro, demanded a speedier trial. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / NPR / ABC News / NBC News / CBS News / CNN / Washington Post / Politico / Bloomberg / CNBC)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2023/08/28/day-951/