The judges presiding over the four criminal cases against Donald Trump may all want to stay out of the politics surrounding the 2024 presidential campaign. It’s probably wishful thinking.
Former federal prosecutors and other legal experts believe at least one, if not two, cases against Trump are likely to go to trial before the election. And the election is now soon enough that almost every decision puts the judges in a “damned if I do, damned if I don’t” situation.
“Going forward with the regular criminal justice process starts to feel like some kind of thumb on the voting process,” former Department of Justice counsel John Q. Barrett said. “The flip side, of course, is the problem: Deferring to the political process, not going forward to a trial because it would taint or affect the candidacy of Trump, is a version of helping Trump’s candidacy.”