Special counsel wants Trump election interference trial to start Jan. 2

Prosecutors proposed January 2, 2024 as the start date for donald trumpelection interference trial, according to court documents released Thursday.

That date, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith said in a presentationit would allow sufficient time for both sides to review the discovery and discuss any pretrial legal issues while still being in the public interest.

“It is hard to imagine a stronger public interest than this case, in which the defendant, the former President of the United States, stands accused of three criminal conspiracies aimed at undermining the federal government, obstructing the certification of the 2020 presidential election .elections and disenfranchising voters,” Smith said.

He also rejected claims by Trump’s legal team that the Speedy Trial Act is only meant to protect the rights of the defendant, saying the policy clearly states that a speedy trial is also in the public interest.

Smith outlined a schedule of possible court dates before the start of the trial, including jury selection on December 11. He estimated that the trial will last “no more than four to six weeks.”

This proposed trial date for Trump, who is running for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, could overlap with the Iowa Republican caucus on January 15 and the Nevada primary on February 6. Recent polls show that Trump is the clear favorite for the nomination and leads his closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), by a staggering 37 percentage points.

Trump has trial dates set for 2024 in two other cases: March 25 for his charges related to secret payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, and May 20 for charges related to the delivery of classified documents.