New York: Federal judge set date of March 4, 2024, for Donald Trump’s election subversion conspiracy trial-placing one of biggest criminal cases in American history at peak election season.

Date is day before ‘Super Tuesday,’ when more than dozen states vote in Republican primary contest to pick party’s candidate for 2024 election with Trump firm favourite to secure nomination. Special counsel Jack Smith had asked for trial of 45th US President to begin on January 2, while Trump’s attorneys countered with proposed date of April 2026-17 months after election.

“Setting trial date does not depend on defendant’s professional obligations so Mr Trump will have to make date work,” US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan said after admonishing defense that two-year delay was too long. Decision could have pivotal impact on Trump’s hopes of recapturing White House.

He took to his social network, Truth Social, to demand that case be dismissed, calling Smith “Deranged” and accusing President Joe Biden of sowing “Division, anger and hatred.” Trump is to go on trial in New York later in March on charges of paying election-eve hush money to porn star and in Florida in May for allegedly mishandling top secret government documents. Trump and 18 co-defendants also face racketeering charges in Georgia over their efforts to overturn 2020 election result in southern state.

Trump, sole defendant in this indictment, is also accused of seeking to disenfranchise American voters with his false claims he won 2020 election.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 29 2023

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.