The commencement date of the federal trial for former President Donald Trump, accused of obstructing the 2020 election, has been removed from the public calendar, causing a stir among observers.
Judge Tanya Chutkan, overseeing the case, initially set the trial for March 4. Trump, facing four charges linked to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into events leading to the January 6 attack, has pleaded not guilty.
Anticipating delays, many expected a later start date due to the case being put on hold while the D.C. Circuit considers whether Trump can claim immunity from prosecution, arguing that the charges relate to his time in office.
The decision of the three-judge panel on Trump’s immunity is pending, even though arguments were heard on January 9. The recent revelation, reported by The Washington Post, indicates that the federal court in Washington, D.C., has removed the March 4 trial date from the public calendar. This administrative action implies a likely postponement, aligning with the ongoing immunity appeal process.
Newsweek reported, “Donald Trump’s March 4 trial on election fraud charges has been dropped from the court calendar.” Judge Tanya Chutkan had frozen the case in December while Trump appealed on presidential immunity grounds. The uncertainty surrounding the trial start date pushes it closer to the November presidential election, with the D.C. Court of Appeals presently reviewing the case, possibly heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.
After the news circulated on social media, some speculated that the removal of the March 4 date meant the case would be dropped. However, Bill Shipley, a lawyer for Capitol riot defendants, dismissed such theories as “idiotic.”
Jack Smith’s Trump case removed from court docket raises eyebrowshttps://t.co/knmMW1WLmv
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 2, 2024
He clarified on X, “Tomorrow was the day the Juror questionnaires were supposed to be returned… Was a questionnaire ever prepared? No—the case has been stayed.” Shipley urged against spreading conspiracy theories and explained logistical challenges tied to the trial’s uncertainty.
The Post reported that Chutkan, who recently scheduled a hearing for a different case on March 18, hinted at the trial’s delay, stating, “I suspect in March I will not be in trial.”
Chutkan, in court papers filed on January 18, barred Smith’s team from submitting motions during the case suspension. She granted Trump’s legal team seven months for case preparation but clarified that this time wouldn’t apply during the case’s suspension.
A former federal prosecutor, Bill Shipley, predicted that none of Trump’s four criminal cases would go to trial before the election, citing their locations and the Democrats’ eagerness for a trial. Shipley, with 22 years as a federal prosecutor, recently defended January 6 defendants as a private attorney.