Former U.S. President Donald Trump will mark his third courtroom visit as a criminal defendant over accusations of lying repeatedly about mass voter fraud and pressing officials to change results to keep him in power.
The Washington prosecutors will present the four charges related to conspiracy and obstruction, after which a judge will establish the conditions for bail.
The presiding judge, Moxila Upadhyaya, will delineate the timeline for pre-trial motions and the discovery process.
In the later stages, both parties are likely to propose motions that determine the permissible evidence and legal justifications at trial, which might be a considerable time away.
John Lauro, Trump’s attorney, potentially hinted at Trump’s defense by labeling the indictment as “an assault on free speech and political advocacy.” This statement implies that Trump’s false claims about election fraud are safeguarded by the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, former US attorney general Bill Barr has spoken out against Trump ahead of his court appearance for allegedly plotting to overturn his election defeat in 2020.
Barr revealed that Trump “knew well he lost the election”.
