Mr Trump is also a defendant in three civil trials scheduled to take place over the coming six months. His lawyers had pressed for an April 2026 trial date, but Judge Chutkan said they did not need that long to prepare. Photo Credit, usnews.com
Donald Trump will stand trial in March 2024 for trying to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat.
Reuters reports that the beleaguered former US President will likely be in the dock barely one day before Republican voters in more than a dozen states are to decide whether to give him a chance to recapture the White House.
US Judge, Tanya Chutkan on Monday set a trial date of March 4 for the federal case in Washington – one of four criminal prosecutions Mr Trump faces.
That is one day before “Super Tuesday”, a potentially decisive date in the Republican presidential nominating contest, when states from Maine to California will hold their nominating contests.
Opinion polls show Mr Trump leading his rivals by a wide margin.
Judge Chutkan’s decision means that Mr Trump will likely have to stand trial in at least three separate criminal cases while he is campaigning for the party’s nomination to take on Democratic President, Joe Biden in the November 2024 election.
The embattled GOP presidential front-runner is scheduled to stand trial in New York on March 25 on state charges of concealing a hush money payment to a porn star.
Mrs Chutkan said she would consult with the judge in that case to work out any potential scheduling conflicts.
Mr Trump has portrayed all four criminal prosecutions as politically motivated attempts to stop him from returning to power.
The 77-year-old ex-President has pleaded not guilty in three of those cases, and is due in Georgia on September 6 to enter a plea in that case, says a court filing on Monday.
That case, according to a recent Reuters report, also stems from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
Writing by Julian Osamoto; Editing by Tony Okerafor