US proposes January start for Trump election trial

U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith's office said in Thursday's court filing that it believes it will take about four to six weeks to put forward the bulk of their case against Trump at trial. Trump last week pleaded not guilty to charges over the alleged election conspiracy.

U.S. prosecutors on Thursday asked a federal judge to begin former President Donald Trump's trial on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election on Jan. 2, 2024.

That date would have the trial get underway just two weeks before the first votes are cast in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, a race in which Trump is the front-runner. U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith's office said in Thursday's court filing that it believes it will take about four to six weeks to put forward the bulk of their case against Trump at trial.

Trump last week pleaded not guilty to charges over the alleged election conspiracy. He faces a separate criminal trial in Manhattan in March 2024, and another criminal trial from Smith in southern Florida in May 2024.