The Jan. 2 trial date for the federal criminal case against Donald Trump and his supporters accused of subverting the 2020 presidential election was requested by U.S. prosecutors at a hearing on Wednesday.
The case involves seven Trump-associated individuals, including Trump himself, accused of plotting to obstruct the outcome of the November election. U.S. prosecutors argued at the hearing that a speedy resolution of the case was necessary due to the immense public interest surrounding the election fraud allegations.
U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta, who will decide whether to accept the request for a January trial date, expressed concern that a speedy resolution may be hard to achieve given the complexity of the case and the schedule of the defense lawyers, who represent several of the defendants.
The defense lawyers, in turn, argued that granting the government’s request would be an affront to their clients’ right to due process and requested that the trial take place sometime in the spring of 2021. Judge Mehta is currently considering both sides before making a decision.
