Former US President Donald Trump appeared in court as part of the “January 6 Congressional raid” investigations into his alleged attempt to change the 2020 election results in his favor.
Trump was in front of the judge yesterday at the Elijah Barrett Prettyman courthouse near the Capitol building in Washington, DC, where the raid took place on January 6, 2021.
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The indictment charges the former US President with four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the country, conspiracy against the rights of citizens, conspiracy to obstruct an official investigation and conspiracy to obstruct the official process. Trump has denied all charges.
The New York Times (NYT), one of the leading newspapers in the US, wrote about 4 highlights of the trial.
1 – Conditions of release will not affect Trump’s campaign
Trump, who announced his candidacy for next year’s presidential elections in November, was released after the hearing.
The court did not confiscate the former leader’s passport and did not impose any travel restrictions on him. He will therefore be able to continue campaigning as normal.
Trump, on the other hand, has pledged not to share details of the proceedings directly with any witnesses unless he is an official advisor.
The 77-year-old politician has also promised to attend court hearings as requested by the court and not to break any federal or state laws. Failure to comply could result in an arrest warrant for Trump.
2 – Trump’s lawyers seek to push back trial date
Judge Moxila Upadhyaya said that in the first instance the next hearing could take place on August 21, 22 or 28. Prosecutors have asked for the earliest possible date, while Trump’s lawyers have asked for the latest possible date.
With the court’s decision, the trial date was set for August 28. However, the prosecution has the right to request a new date next week. A week after that, Trump’s lawyers will be able to file a counter-demand.
NYT pointed out that the first televised debate in the Republican Party’s primary election process for the 2024 presidential elections will be held on August 23.
It is not yet clear whether Trump will attend the hearing in person. The former president is not legally obliged to do so.
