According to one legal expert, one week after Donald Trump saw his Jan. 6 conspiracy case assigned to United States District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Tonya Chutkan, he is already testing her patience and it could lead her to speed his trial along.
In a column for the Bulwark, Dennis Aftergut said the judge will be measured in her responses to the former president pushing the limits of her admonishments but he already has two strikes against him in a very short time.
As he wrote, "With defendants who repeat defiant acts, it’s typical for courts to incrementally escalate from warnings to sanctions. Trump has learned that he will probably get three strikes before truly serious consequences accrue. (Judge Chutkan could surprise him.)"
As for what the judge can do -- along with sanctions and possibly a gag order -- the legal expert suggested she could do the one thing Trump doesn't want to happen: Conduct a speedy trial that could result in more than one felony conviction before the 2024 election.
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"Having only one escape route out of Dodge is something experienced crooks avoid," writes Aftergut. "You could get so focused on it that you’re blind to the sheriff who has you under surveillance. Judge Chutkan has broad discretion over Trump’s D.C. trial date. Anger her and you add incentive to set a trial as early as is consistent with the time Trump’s lawyers need to adequately prepare."
Pointing to a recent poll that shows Trump's support for re-election drops among Republicans if he is convicted -- with 45 % opposed in those circumstances -- if he is convicted, Aftergut warned, "Tough getting back into the Oval Office with those numbers."
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