Special Counsel Jack Smith calls for Trump’s 2020 election process to begin Jan. 2 – and suggests it could take SIX WEEKS
- The process would run through the Iowa primary, scheduled for Jan. 15
- Smith motion calls for a “reasonably expeditious process”
- Trump’s attorneys have asked for time to review the evidence
Special Counsel Jack Smith has proposed a “quick trial” for Donald Trump — one that would begin early in the New Year and likely extend through the Iowa elections.
On the fast-filling court calendar, timing is everything as courts in multiple jurisdictions juggle countless indictments against the former president.
On federal allegations surrounding Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Smith has put together a compact speeding indictment — and is now telling a federal judge prosecutors could turn over evidence within days and begin selecting a jury before Christmas .
Special Counsel Jack Smith is requesting that Trump’s trial begin on January 6 in connection with the January 2 indictments. One file says a trial could last six weeks
“A hearing date of January 2, 2024 constitutes a reasonably expeditious hearing in the public interest and in the interests of justice, while giving the defendant time to prepare his defense and raise legal issues before the court in court,” he wrote in an article filing on Thursday before US District Judge Tanya Chutkan.
The proposed timeline would give Trump’s defense attorneys two months after the indictment to file motions and five months to review discovery materials that prosecutors are required to disclose, Smith wrote.
In a footnote, he referenced Trump attorney John Lauro’s media tour – arguing that it showed he was already ready for a fast pace.
“It appears that defense counsel is already planning what motions the defendant will file,” he wrote, citing Lauro’s appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation.
Back in his first indictment last week, Trump’s team characterized the massive body of evidence and sought a slower time frame.
Both sides are at odds over the “Speedy Trial Act,” which ticks the clock for when a trial must begin, typically 70 days after an indictment is unsealed.
Trump’s lawyers are due to appear in court in Washington on Friday
Smith’s submission came as Republican presidential candidates, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, were performing at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Trump (seen on a poster) is expected to visit
This comes against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential election, with the first GOP debate just two weeks away and the Iowa election conventions scheduled for Jan. 15.
Smith says the trial itself should take about four to six weeks, giving a verdict before Super Tuesday in March.
US District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan could speed up the case even if a Trump-appointed judge has the power to set the timeline in the complex confidential documents case
Smith argues that the Speedy Trial Act is designed not only to protect the rights of the accused, but that “the right to a timely trial belongs to the public and not just to the accused”.
He says it reduces the “possibility for defendants to commit crimes while they are out of prison and prevents a longer investigation delay from compromising the deterrent effect of the sentence.”
A US judge has released Trump on bail following his indictment.
Judge Chutkan has the authority to uphold Trump’s Jan. 6 case alleging that he obstructed an official process, conspired to obstruct the tallying of elections, conspired to defraud the government, and conspired to violate civil liberties related to voting .
In Florida, however, where a Trump attorney again pleaded not guilty on his behalf Thursday, Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon has the power to set a more deliberate timeline for the complex confidential documents case.