January 6 Case: Trump pleads innocence in 2020 election interference case

Former US President Donald Trump on Thursday pleaded not guilty to the 2020 election interference case.

The case is related to Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result in his favour. Trump has been charged with the conspiracy to defraud the United States, the conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, attempting to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

On January 6, 2021, Trump egged on a mob of supporters that attacked the US Capitol to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election result. The mob comprising far-right supporters of Trump sought to kill the-then Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the certification, and hijack the process to illegally declare Trump as the winner.

In the election interference case, the trial was originally supposed to start on March 4, but that was put on hold following the Supreme Court’s ruling granting the president immunity for actions in official capacity . The Thursday’s hearing in the case was mostly procedural.

Case’s schedule will not follow election calendar

Even as the presidential election campaign has picked up pace and nearing towards its final stretch, Judge Tanya Chutkan said she will not take it into account while scheduling the future proceedings of the case.

Trump’s lawyers argued that pursuing the case during the election cycle would mean that arguments would be aired at a “sensitive time” which would be unfair to Trump, the nominee of the Republican Party. This is in line with Trump’s tirade that the indictment in the case as well as the cases against him are a means to hamper his chances of being elected.

Regarding Trump’s concerns, Chutkan said the court was “not concerned with the electoral schedule” and would decide the schedule without taking into account the election cycle, according to CNN.

While Chutkan concluded the day’s hearing without announcing the schedule for the case, reports said she may announce it as soon as by the end of the day.

Trump is facing a total of four cases. He has already been convicted in the ‘hush money’ case . He is the first President of the United States to be a convicted criminal.