US district judge declines recusal from Trump's 2020 election interference case

Published:  29-09-2023

Tanya Chutkan, who is a judge in the United States, has said she will not step down from overseeing the case about the 2020 election and alleged interference by former President Donald Trump. Trump wanted her to step aside, saying that her past comments made him think she couldn't be fair. But Chutkan, who was chosen to be a judge by President Barack Obama and was randomly assigned to Trump's case, said she sees no reason to leave.

The case is set for trial in March and accuses Trump of trying to overturn the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.

It's not easy to make a judge step aside from a case, and legal experts thought Trump's request was unlikely to succeed. They believed it was a move to make the case seem unfair and harm the relationship between the judge and Trump's legal team.
US district judge declines recusal from Trump's 2020 election interference case
Trump's lawyers did not respond immediately when asked for a comment.

To ask Chutkan to step aside, Trump's lawyers pointed to comments she made during the sentencing of people involved in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. They thought she implied that Trump should be prosecuted and held accountable, which would mean she is biased against him. But Chutkan strongly disagreed with this interpretation of her words.

Chutkan wrote, "The court has never taken the position the defense ascribes to it: that former 'President Trump should be prosecuted and imprisoned.'" She also said that Trump's lawyers didn't provide any evidence of her saying such things.

This is the second time Trump has tried and failed to get a judge removed from one of his criminal cases. Another judge overseeing a different case also rejected his request to step aside, saying he could be fair and impartial.

Chutkan has been known for giving tough punishments to people involved in the January 6 riot when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Trump, who is considering running for president again in 2024, has criticized her on social media, saying that the prosecution is politically motivated.
US district judge declines recusal from Trump's 2020 election interference case
The special counsel, Jack Smith, said there was no good reason to remove Chutkan from the case. He agreed with Chutkan that she never said Trump was legally or morally responsible for the events of January 6 or that he deserved to be punished.

Chutkan said that judges should only step aside if there's a good reason to do so, and she didn't see any valid reason in this case.

Trump's legal team also objected to a request from Smith's team for a narrow gag order. This order would prevent Trump from making comments that are inflammatory or intimidating about witnesses, lawyers, and others involved in the case.

Chutkan has scheduled the trial to start on March 4, 2024, despite objections from Trump's lawyers who say they need more time to prepare. This case in Washington's federal court is one of four criminal cases that Trump is facing as he tries to return to the White House. Please Share This News Thank you..

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