His defense lawyers asked the judge to set the case's first hearing, which will focus on a dispute between Trump and special counsel Jack Smith about the provisions of a protective order, for next Monday or Tuesday after U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan asked that the parties choose a date on or before Friday, Aug. 11.Trump, according to a court filing, wanted to have two of his attorneys, John Lauro and Todd Blanche, appear at the hearing.
"However, since we lost Friday as an option, we would respectfully request a setting on Monday or Tuesday to allow for both Mr. Blanche and Mr. Lauro to be present," Trump's attorneys wrote.The filing did not clarify why Wednesday and Friday were off the table for Trump. Blanche's firm declined to comment, and Lauro did not respond to a request for comment.
In the Florida case, Trump's lawyers pushed for a trial to begin after the 2024 election, contending that selecting an impartial set of jurors would be impossible while Trump was a candidate.