Jack Smith sets trial date for Trump Jan. 6 case

Donald Trump was formally indicted in early August for his actions following the 2020 presidential election, specifically for the events that occurred on January 6, 2021. The former president has already attended the arraignment in Washington and was awaiting a trial date, which Jack Smith recently confirmed.

The indictment consists of four counts resulting from the special prosecutor’s investigation: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of an official proceeding; and conspiracy against citizens’ rights.

A federal grand jury approved the charges and therefore added more cases to Trump’s judicial collection. The former president’s court cases include indictments over classified documents, falsification of financial records and potentially the Fulton County, Georgia case.

The special prosecutor gave January 2, 2024, as the date for the start of the trial, mere days before the beginning of the Republican primaries for president, for which Trump is currently leading the polls. As for the estimated duration of the judicial process, Smith estimates that it will take between four and six weeks. Therefore, this would end with Republican voters already at the polls.

“Most importantly, a January 2 trial date would vindicate the public’s strong interest in a speedy trial — an interest guaranteed by the Constitution and federal law in all cases, but of particular significance here, where the defendant, a former president, is charged with conspiring to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election, obstruct the certification of the election results, and discount citizens’ legitimate votes,” Smith assured during the presentation of the process.

No dates have yet been set for hearings and motions. However, November 13 was established as the deadline for the parties to file motions in limine, December 8 as the final preliminary conference and December 11 as the jury selection date.