‘The more a party makes inflammatory statements about this case … the greater the urgency will be that we proceed to trial quickly.’
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan warned Donald Trump and his attorney Friday that repeated “inflammatory” statements about his latest criminal prosecution would force her to speed his trial on charges related to his bid to subvert the 2020 election.
But Chutkan, aware of the national spotlight on her oversight of the explosive case, repeatedly emphasized that she intended to keep politics out of the courtroom and treat Trump like any other criminal defendant. That included potential consequences if he makes statements that could be construed as harassing or threatening witnesses.
The hearing was Chutkan’s first significant foray into the case, in which Trump stands charged with three conspiracies aimed at derailing the transfer of power to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. Trump has repeatedly assailed Chutkan, an Obama appointee, on social media and called for her recusal without citing a basis. Lauro, however, has not embraced Trump’s call.
Prosecutors, however, are seeking to bring the case to trial on Jan. 2, a rapid turnaround that they say is in the public interest. Windom emphasized that the large volume of evidence had been “extraordinarily” organized in a way that would make perusal simple for Trump’s team. Chutkan repeatedly emphasized Trump’s First Amendment right to speak his mind, especially as he campaigns for president. But she said her primary goal was to ensure “the orderly administration of justice.”
But Chutkan said those considerations simply could not be a factor in her rulings, saying Lauro was “conflating what your client needs to do to defend himself and what your client wants to do politically.”Prosecutors also raised alarms about Trump’s proposal to be permitted to review sensitive evidence in the case without a minder from his legal team.
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