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Prosecutors working with special counsel Jack Smith have urged U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan to reject a request by Donald Trump's attorneys for her to disqualify herself from his federal election obstruction case. The prosecutors argue that Trump's team has failed to provide evidence of bias against him. Trump's defense had requested Chutkan's recusal, claiming that she had already prejudged his guilt. The defense motion came after Chutkan set a trial date for Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the 2020 election. Trump's attorney argued that Chutkan's comments in previous hearings displayed an apparent prejudgment of guilt. Legal analysts note that a judge's views expressed during the sentencing of one defendant are typically not grounds for recusal in the case of another defendant. The decision to recuse is up to the judge, and if Chutkan refuses the request, Trump's defense lawyers may seek disqualification from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Chutkan, appointed by Barack Obama in 2014, is one of 13 active judges in the federal trial court in Washington who have presided over cases related to the Capitol attack. Trump has made similar recusal requests in other cases, including one in New York where he is scheduled for trial in March. |
Trump's motion to dismiss the case against him was denied by New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan. The motion was based on the judge's previous political donations and his daughter's involvement with anti-Trump organizations. Aside from the ongoing cases in New York and D.C., Trump is also facing charges in Georgia for attempting to obstruct the election results, as well as in federal court in Florida for mishandling classified documents after his presidency. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all four cases.
