Trump’s lawyers have defied Judge Chutkan’s order that they submit dates for this week’s protective order hearing.
Here is the document from the court:
By Minute Order on August 7, 2023, the Court directed the parties to meet and confer and inform the Court, by joint notice, “of two dates and times on or before August 11, 2023 when both parties are available for a hearing.” The parties have conferred and hereby provide notice.
The Government is available at any time on August 9, 10, or 11.
The defense represents the following:
President Trump will not appear. However, he would like to have both his counsel John Lauro and Todd Blanche at the hearing. Todd Blanche is not available on Thursday, since he must appear for a court proceeding in the prosecution brought against the same defendant, President Trump, by the Special Counsel in SD Florida. Mr. Lauro is available on Thursday, with a preference for an afternoon setting. However, since we lost Friday as an option, we would respectfully request a setting on Monday (after 12:00 p.m.) or Tuesday (all day) to allow for both Mr. Blanche and Mr. Lauro to be present.
I am not a lawyer, but I don’t think sorry, we can’t make it when you ordered us to because our client is on trial elsewhere for other crimes is a great excuse.
Judge Chutkan picked this week for a reason. Trump’s lawyers seem to be trying every delay tactic in the book. Pretty soon, they won’t be able to make it to court because they have car trouble or someone has a dentist appointment that week. Notice that the Government was available tomorrow (8/8) for the hearing that Trump’s lawyers requested, but Trump’s team is now unavailable until next week.
There is an interesting tug-of-war playing out between Trump’s attempts to delay the trial, and Judge Chutkan trying to speed it up. The judge will win this one, and if it isn’t already, her patience should be running thin with Trump’s delay tactics.