US judge says Trump will have to juggle trials, re-election bid
By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A federal judge in Washington on Monday said former President Donald Trump's lawyers will not get as much time as they have requested to prepare for a criminal trial charging him with illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said Trump will have to juggle his legal defense with his efforts to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
His lawyers had requested a trial date of April 2026, well past the November 2024 presidential election, saying they needed time to work through the government's evidence.
But Chutkan said she would not delay the trial that long.
“Mr. Trump will have to make the trial date work, regardless of his schedule," she said.
Chutkan is expected to set a trial date for the case, one of four criminal prosecutions the former president faces.
Special Counsel Jack Smith has proposed starting the trial on Jan. 2, 2024, 11 months before Election Day.
Trump did not attend Monday's hearing.
Trump has portrayed all four criminal prosecutions as politically motivated attempts to stop him from returning to power.
He has pleaded not guilty in three of those cases, and is due in a Georgia court on Sept. 6 to enter a plea in the fourth case, according to a court filing issued on Monday.
Trump has previously lashed out at Chutkan, saying, without evidence, that she is biased against him.
Trump's attorneys say they need time to sort through the government's evidence.
“This man’s liberty and life is at stake and he deserves an adequate representation,” attorney John Lauro said. “We cannot do this in the time frame the government has outlined," he added.
Prosecutors say much of the evidence consists of public
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