Judge Chutkan Accepts Proposed Protective Order in Case Related to 2020 Presidential Election

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has accepted a proposed protective order put forth by former President Donald Trump’s lawyers in a case related to the 2020 presidential election. The order imposes narrower limits on the disclosure of evidence than prosecutors had sought.

At a hearing on Friday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan declined to adopt the order that special counsel Jack Smith had requested last week. The order would have prevented the “improper dissemination or use” of all evidence to the public that is turned over to Trump’s lawyers before the trial.

Lawyers for Donald Trump and federal prosecutors appeared in the federal courtroom to discuss what restrictions could be imposed before a trial on charges related to the 2020 election, including limits on what information the former president can share about the case.

The hearing took place before special counsel Jack Smith’s team turns over discovery in a case that the government would like to set for trial in January. Judge Chutkan said she would accept the protective order put forth by the former president’s lawyers, which imposes narrower limits on the disclosure of evidence than prosecutors had sought.

The case against former President Donald Trump is ongoing, and the protective order will help ensure that the trial is conducted fairly and without any improper disclosure of evidence. The trial is expected to begin in January 2021.