Attorneys for Donald Trump on Thursday asked a judge to delay their client's federal election interference trial by two months.
In a motion filed before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, Trump attorneys John Lauro, Gregory Singer, and Filzah Pavalon argued that the trial should be delayed so they could conduct additional research.
"As the Court knows, this case presents numerous novel and complex legal issues. Counsel has been diligently researching these questions and preparing appropriate pretrial motions, but requires a brief extension of time to complete this process," the filing states. This is the first time in history anyone—let alone a President of the United States—has been charged, in the defense's view wrongfully, with conspiracies related to a contested election."
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"As a result, defense counsel must research and address issues of extreme constitutional import that require careful analysis and briefing. Despite due diligence, counsel requires additional time to address these complex and novel legal questions and to ensure that they are properly placed before the Court," the motion adds.
If the judge grants the defense motion, the deadline for pretrial motions will be moved from Oct. 9 to Dec. 8. Trump has also asked for a delay to the start of his trial for allegedly mishandling classified documents.
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Special counsel Jack Smith is expected to oppose the motion.
