Lee Heidhues 8.11.2023

Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan minced no words in laying down the law to Mr. Donald Trump.

Judge Chutkan, in her first appearance as trial judge in the case, made it clear — within minutes of ascending the bench — that she intended to view Mr. Trump primarily as a defendant rather than a political figure, and suggested she sided with the government’s push for a speedy trial.

The Wheels of Justice grind slowly and exceedingly fine. At long last Mr. Trump is up against a Prosecutor and Judge who see his antics for what they are. Harassment. Intimidation. Abuse.

Excerpted from The New York Times and Politico 8.11.2023

The federal judge overseeing former President Donald J. Trump’s prosecution on charges of seeking to overturn the 2020 election rejected his request on Friday to be able to speak broadly about evidence and witnesses — and warned Mr. Trump she would take necessary “measures” to keep him from intimidating witnesses or tainting potential jurors.

“He is a criminal defendant,” Judge Chutkan said. “He is going to have restrictions like every other criminal defendant” — adding that she was not going to “allow him any greater or lesser latitude than any defendant in a criminal case.”

“Your client’s defense is supposed to happen in this courtroom, not on the internet,” Chutkan admonished Trump attorney John Lauro.

The judge described Mr. Trump’s candidacy as “a day job,” like another defendant.

Trump’s attorney Lauro repeatedly emphasized the politics hovering over the case, noting its influence on Trump’s campaign and the potential that prosecutors could accuse him of violating evidence-sharing agreements even during routine exchanges on the campaign trail with rivals that include Pence. This would advantage Biden’s reelection prospects, he said.

But Chutkan said those considerations simply could not be a factor in her rulings, saying Lauro was “conflating what your client needs to do to defend himself and what your client wants to do politically.”

Aging Arrogant Arrestee – Donald Trump

The caution from the judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, came during a 90-minute hearing in Federal District Court in Washington to discuss the scope of a protective order over the discovery evidence in Mr. Trump’s case, a typically routine step in criminal matters. Judge Chutkan said she planned to impose the order but agreed to a modification requested by the Trump legal team that it apply only to “sensitive” materials and not all evidence turned over to the defense.

She concluded the hearing with a blunt warning to Mr. Trump, and an unmistakable reference to a recent social media post in which he warned, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!” — a statement his spokesman later said was aimed at political opponents and not at people involved in the case.

“I do want to issue a general word of caution — I intend to ensure the orderly administration of justice in this case as I would in any other case, and even arguably ambiguous statements by the parties or their counsel,” she said, could be considered an attempt to “intimidate witnesses or prejudice potential jurors,” triggering the court to take action.