Two key hearings today could have big implications for former President Donald Trump and the criminal charges he faces for his actions surrounding the 2020 election and for withholding classified information after leaving office.
Here's what to look for at each hearing:
Hearing of classified documents: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has told both sides to be prepared to discuss the scheduling of the Mar-a-Lago documents case, including a request by Trump's lawyers to hold a hearing on whether they can also demand additional information. to a variety of federal agencies. as from Joe Biden's White House. Special counsel Jack Smith and Trump's lawyers proposed moving the trial later to the summer in court papers filed Thursday. Smith said he believes Trump and his two co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliviera, should go to trial on July 8, 2024.
For Friday's hearing on the documents case, scheduled for 10 a.m. ET, Cannon told both sides to be ready to discuss several legal issues, including whether the names of witnesses, FBI agents and others involved in the initial investigation should be omitted from Trump's office documents. equipment. The hearing is likely to address the Justice Department's efforts to prevent harassment and intimidation of witnesses (a persistent problem in the cases against Trump) and to protect the jury selection process.
Hearing on efforts to disqualify Fani Willis: Fulton County defense attorneys will present their closing arguments on why Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be dismissed from the election interference case against Trump and his alleged accomplices. The hearing at 1:00 p.m. ET in front of Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee will conclude defense attorneys' multi-day presentation on whether allegations about Willis' romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade created a conflict of interest that should prevent him from continuing to prosecute the case. .
In three hearings over the past two weeks, defense attorneys have sought to present witnesses and evidence to support their allegations against Willis, specifically that she benefited financially from the relationship and that it began before she hired him in late 2021. Lawyers Trump and his allies are expected to argue that Wade and Willis lied under oath about when their relationship began. To underscore that argument, defense attorneys will likely highlight Wade's cell phone data that they say shows he made several visits, including some late at night, to the area where Willis was living at the time before they began their relationship.
