Judge in Trump Case Calls Election Schedule Irrelevant

Tanya Chutkan sets pretrial deadlines but not a trial date
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 5, 2024 7:00 PM CDT
Judge in Trump Case Calls Election Schedule Irrelevant
Donald Trump attorneys Emil Bove, left, and Todd Blanche leave the US Federal Courthouse in Washington after a hearing Thursday.   (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Judge Tanya Chutkan convened both sides in Donald Trump's election interference prosecution on Thursday, setting a pretrial schedule to move the case along while saying her timeline won't be affected by the defendant's presidential campaign. "This court is not concerned with the electoral schedule," she said, per Politico, calling it "not relevant here." The judge did not consider setting a trial date in the first proceeding since the Supreme Court ruled on presidential immunity, saying that would be an "exercise in futility." Not only do pretrial disputes need to be settled, but both sides said they expect another appeal by Trump to pause the case again.

Under Chutkan's order, prosecutors' opening brief is due Sept. 26 and the defense response Oct. 17. Prosecutors then will have until Oct. 29 to reply, per the Hill. Trump is charged with four felonies, accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The filings could make new details about prosecutors' evidence against him public shortly before the November election. Trump lawyer John Lauro argued that would allow federal prosecutors to "load up" the public record with incriminating information "at this very sensitive time in our nation's history." It's not clear how much of that evidence might be released, per Politico. (More election interference indictment stories.)

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