CNN –
A hearing on the extent of a protective order, which covers the evidence-handling rules in the special counsel’s election subversion case against former President Donald Trump, was scheduled for Friday at 10 p.m. ET by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan.
Chutkan, a judge who has already faced criticism from Trump supporters, would be the first to stand before him for this hearing.
Due to Trump’s busy legal schedule, his lawyers requested a Friday morning slot for the elections case in Washington, DC, where they had previously refused to consider scheduling it. It is unclear what their reasoning was after the filing revealed that Friday was not included in their plan.
Chuktan had previously indicated her readiness to have the hearing on the evidence rules by Friday. The team representing Special Counsel Jack Smith stated that they could be present on either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday as requested.
Trump is not obligated to attend the Friday hearing in DC, as per Chutkan.
A court may grant prosecutors motions to obtain a protective order, which prohibits defendants from publicly discussing confidential and sensitive information that was discovered during the discovery process in judicial proceedings.
Orders from the government are commonly requested to prevent other individuals involved in a case, such as witnesses, from being subjected to unnecessary pressure by defendants. These orders often align with federal regulations that restrict public disclosure of information from grand jury proceedings and under what circumstances. This is reflected in both criminal and civil cases where judges issue these orders.
Unlike protective orders, which are generally not broad in their scope, gag orders prohibit defendants from public speaking about cases that are currently under review. Although gag warrants are more prevalent in high-profile cases, they still remain less common than protective actions due to constitutional questions.
The judge is informed by Trump’s legal team about the extensive trial preparation plans.
On Tuesday, Trump’s legal team detailed their extensive preparations for the trial in a separate filing.
In the latest two-page court filing, the former president’s team requested a longer time before the trial in the case.
The Justice Department has a 70-day time limit for trials, but it’s common practice to add time to complex cases.
The Trump team’s court filing outlined some of the initial requirements they believe are necessary to delay the current timeline by approximately one month. They also discussed the level of preparation they plan to undertake, including interviewing witnesses and reviewing extensive evidence collected by the Justice Department.
The court was informed by Trump’s lawyers that the matter would involve significant constitutional and legal questions, as well as the need to review terabytes of electronic data, thousands of hard copy documents, critical motions, interviews with hundreds of witnesses, and retain expert witnesses.
This story has been updated.