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Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys and federal prosecutors have been summoned to attend in court on Friday for a hearing to assist in determining how evidence can be used and shared in the case.
The hearing will aid the federal judge presiding over the former president’s trial on allegations of attempting to sway the 2020 election.
Shortly after Trump’s attorneys and representatives of the US Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office argued in a joint court over the timing of the proceeding, US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan set the hearing for Friday at 10 am ET.
While Trump’s attorneys requested a postponement until the start of the following week, prosecutors had stated that they were available all week.
The hearing on Friday comes after Trump’s defense team on Monday resisted a request from prosecutors for Chutkan to impose a protective order to ensure that sensitive information is not disclosed publicly by Trump, claiming he may use it to intimidate witnesses.
Trump has entered a not guilty plea and claimed that the accusations are made for political reasons.
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Protective Orders and Discovery in Trump’s Case
According to Trump’s legal team, restrictions would violate his First Amendment-protected right to free speech. Chutkan waived his presence, thus it is anticipated that Trump won’t be in the courtroom on Friday.
Defense attorneys typically don’t challenge such protective orders because doing so could prevent the government from turning over the evidence it plans to use in court during the so-called discovery process.
The dispute between the parties on the hearing date was the most recent attempt by Trump’s legal team to stall or slow down the court process.
It also highlighted the logistical difficulties Trump’s legal team may face as they continue to defend him in two separate federal criminal cases brought by Smith’s office, one in southern Florida and the other in Washington, DC.
In these cases, Trump is accused of keeping highly sensitive records after leaving the White House and obstructing the government’s efforts to get the records back. In that instance, Trump also entered a not-guilty plea.
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Source: www.newsbreak.com
