Special Counsel Jack Smith Argues for Fair Trial in Federal Election Interference Case, Reiterates Public’s Right to Speedy Trial

In a court filing on Monday, special counsel Jack Smith argued that delaying Donald Trump’s federal trial for his efforts to stop the peaceful transfer of power until 2026 would “deny the public its right to a speedy trial.” Smith’s team wrote that Trump’s request to delay the trial until April 2026 was supported by “inapposite statistics and cases, overstates the amount of new and non-duplicative discovery, and exaggerates the challenge of reviewing it effectively.”

The special counsel’s office has proposed starting jury selection in the federal election interference case in December and beginning the trial in January. Smith’s team argued that this timeline would provide ample time for the defense to review the evidence and prepare for trial.

The filing also noted that the public has a right to a speedy trial, and that the proposed timeline would not violate that right. Smith’s team argued that the proposed timeline would provide a fair trial for both the defense and the prosecution.

The filing concluded that the proposed timeline would provide a fair trial for both the defense and the prosecution, and that it would not violate the public’s right to a speedy trial. The court is expected to make a decision on the proposed timeline in the coming weeks.