Former President Donald Trump’s trial date on charges related to the events of Jan. 6, 2020, is no longer visible on the public calendar of the Washington, D.C., federal court system. Initially scheduled for March 4, the absence of a trial date has sparked speculation among Trump supporters.
However, The Washington Post reports that this delay was expected due to Trump’s appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The appeal questions whether Trump should be immune from prosecution for actions taken during his presidency. Despite this, Republican Rep.
Anna Paulina Luna seems to perceive a connection between a letter sent from her office to special counsel Jack Smith’s office.
Within hours of my office sending a letter asking Jack Smith to produce information regarding his investigation, his case against Trump is removed from the docket. Jack Smith owes the American people and Congress answers. https://t.co/zGvI2UJ6Q2 pic.twitter.com/dFw05ELmNR
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) February 2, 2024
Luna refrained from clarifying the rationale behind her trust in Smith, who lacks authority over the court’s schedule, as the individual responsible for furnishing “answers” concerning the alteration.
Bill Shipley, an attorney who has represented several defendants involved in the events of January 6th, dismissed the notion that the change in date would lead to the dismissal of the case against Trump as “idiotic.”
Everyone posting theories about why the US v. Trump DC case was removed from the March 3 calendar — which I noted here yesterday — are making clowns of yourself. Your GUESSES are idiotic.
Tomorrow was the day the Juror questionnaires were supposed to be returned to the Court…
— Shipwreckedcrew (@shipwreckedcrew) February 2, 2024
Shipley clarified that the majority of the jury selection process seems to be still pending, while expressing his concern over the theories being circulated by Trump supporters on social media, which he deemed as self-ridiculing behavior.
“So all you supposedly ‘In the know’ X-sters, just stop posting nonsensical conspiracy theories about why the Court — NOT JACK SMITH — removed the trial from the March 4 calendar,” he wrote.
It appears that Trump and his legal team did not view the change on the docket as a significant victory, as there was no evidence of him celebrating or boasting about it on social media.
“A spokesman for Smith said the office had no comment, and spokespeople for Trump and for the court did not immediately respond to requests for comment,” the Post reported.
The judge presiding over the case, Tanya S. Chutkan, had previously stated that all trial deadlines would be put on hold while Trump pursued the appeal of his immunity status through the D.C. Circuit, as reported by the Post.
According to Newsweek, arguments were presented to the appellate court on Jan. 9, but there is currently no indication of when the three-judge panel will make a ruling on the matter.
The timing of this ruling could determine whether Smith is able to bring the former president to trial before Election Day in November. Additionally, it may also have an impact on the schedules of the three other criminal trials that Trump is facing.