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There could be a number of key updates this week in the criminal cases involving Donald Trump, including when the former president could go on trial in Georgia.
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing District Attorney Fani Willis' 2020 election interference case in which Trump and 18 other defendants have been charged, is expected to hold a meeting this week which could shed more light on when the former president could face a jury.
Trump, the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, has pleaded not guilty to all 91 charges he faces across four criminal cases, and accused each one of being politically motivated plots to prevent him winning the 2024 election.
Trump's legal team has been contacted for comment via email.
Willis has frequently stated she intends to put all 19 defendants charged under her sprawling Georgia RICO case on trial together as early as October.
Last week, McAfee denied former Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell's request to have their cases severed from each other. The judge also raised doubts that Willis' office would be able to try all 19 defendants together in just over a month.
Currently, just Powell and Chesebro are scheduled to go on trial together on October 23.
McAfee indicated that he will rule on the trial schedule and whether any of the other defendants can have their cases severed from the others by early this week.
Trump is asking to sever his case from the other defendants who are seeking a speedy trial. The former president is also demanding that his case be moved to a federal court. Trump's former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows had his calls to have his Georgia trial moved to a federal court rejected by U.S. District Judge Steve Jones.
Elsewhere, federal prosecutors and Trump's lawyers could continue legal arguments this week about whether certain motions related to the trial into attempts to overturn the 2020 election should be filed under seal and not made public.
Special Counsel Jack Smith's office previously argued for some legal filings to remain sealed while citing concerns about Trump's "daily" Truth Social posts, where the former president frequently attacks Smith and his and other investigations into the former president.
"Such a requirement would grind litigation in this case to a halt, which is particularly infeasible given the pressing matters before the court—including the defendant's daily extra judicial statements that threaten to prejudice the jury pool in this case, as described in the government's motion," Smith's office wrote.
Further arguments for and against filing motions under seal are expected to be filed by the prosecution and defense this week.
In Florida, there is also a chance that an overdue behind doors hearing could take place to discuss the evidence which will be presented in trial during the classified documents case against Trump.
Judge Aileen Cannon confirmed in August that she will hold a hearing to discuss the "sensitive, security-related issues concerning classified discovery" federal prosecutors plan to present. However, Cannon did not give a date for the hearing, meaning it could yet take place beyond this week.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, and Florida ... Read more