The federal judge responsible for the trial of former US President Donald Trump on criminal charges related to his efforts to change the results of the 2020 elections warned, during a hearing Friday, that she would not allow the trial to be turned into a “media carnival.”
During a Friday hearing on Attorney General Jack Smith’s request for an injunction preventing the release of key documents in the case, Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed to limit Trump’s public comments on only “sensitive” elements in the case, but severely limited his access. to these documents.
Although this case is highly political in nature, the judge stressed that she wants to run the hearings as normally as possible.
In response to defense attorney John Lauro’s objections to the prosecutor’s requests, Judge Chutkan said: I will not take into account in my decision the effects it may have on the 2024 presidential campaign, adding that her first concern is “the smooth administration of justice.”
The Defense Chutkan agreed that the injunction concerned only “sensitive elements” in this case, but instead adopted the prosecution’s proposed definition of “sensitive elements” to include in particular transcripts or recordings of witness statements.
The judge also warned that this matter carries a “risk of intimidating witnesses,” and also warned against any “fiery statement that would undermine the jury selection process,” stressing that this matter would only prompt her to set an early date for the start of the trial.
