Judge sets trial date for Trump's election subversion case March next year

A federal judge on Monday ruled that the federal criminal trial of former US President Donald Trump on charges he sought to subvert the result of the 2020 presidential election will begin on March 4, 2024, CNN reported.

Trump will go to trial on March 4, 2024, on charges alleging he worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election, federal Judge Tanya Chutkan announced on Monday. The set date for trial comes just a day before Tuesday, when voters in over a dozen states, including California and Texas will go to the polls.

In the hearing on Monday, Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected the trial dates proposed by both the US Justice Department and Trump's legal team, according to CNN report. Prosecutors had proposed that the trial should begin in January next year while Trump's lawyers had requested that the trial should start in April 2026.

Judge Tanya Chutkan said, "These proposals are obviously very far apart" and neither "are acceptable," CNN reported. She stated that setting a date for trial would "not depend and should not depend on the defendants' personal or professional obligations."

Chutkan said that she was "aware that Mr. Trump faces charges in other state and federal criminal cases." She said that "this case is not going to trial in 2026," according to CNN report.

During the court hearing on Monday, a defence attorney for Donald Trump called the special counsel Jack Smith's request for a January 2024 trial date in the federal 2020 election subversion case absurd.

Trump's attorney John Lauro said, "Trump is entitled to a fair trial." Lauro further said, "This is a request for a show trial, not for a speedy trial." In a raised voice, Lauro said that "for a federal prosecutor to suggest that we could go to trial in four months is not only absurd, but it's a violation of their oath to do justice."

Federal prosecutor Molly Gaston argued that it was important to take the special counsel's election subversion case against Donald Trump to trial as soon as possible in part due to Trump's social media posts, CNN reported.

Gaston said, "On a near daily basis, the defendant posts on social media about this case." Federal prosecutor said, "He has publicly disparaged witnesses, he has attacked the integrity of the court and of the citizens of the District of Columbia."

Meanwhile, Trump and the other 18 co-defendants will be arraigned in Fulton County on September 6 in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case, CNN reported citing court filings.

Donald Trump's arraignment will be held at 9:30 am ET, where he is expected to enter a non-guilty plea. Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani's arraignment will be held at 9:45 am ET.