Donald Trump legal timeline: Key court dates to watch

Palm Beach, Florida - The next few months will be pivotal for Donald Trump, as he continues to run for re-election in 2024 while battling scores of serious criminal charges.

As former President Donald Trump runs for reelection, he also faces multiple legal issues which will eventually demand his appearance in court.
As former President Donald Trump runs for reelection, he also faces multiple legal issues which will eventually demand his appearance in court.  © Collage: IMAGO / Design Pics, ANGELA WEISS / AFP, Drew Angerer, JOE RAEDLE, POOL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

Whoever handles Trump's booking and scheduling deserves an award, because the ex-president's schedule is about to get really busy.

So far this year, he has been hit with 91 criminal charges within four indictments, and will face trial in four different cities – Washington DC, New York, Atlanta, and Miami.

He also faces various civil lawsuits that threaten to deliver huge hits to his quickly depleting resources.

Trump slammed by Whoopi Goldberg after vicious dig at The View: "How dumb are you?!"
Donald Trump Trump slammed by Whoopi Goldberg after vicious dig at The View: "How dumb are you?!"

To top it off, he is running for reelection in 2024, with big plans to take back the White House, and evade or pardon himself of charges brought against him.

His mounting legal woes along with his reputation for running one of the most aggressively engaging presidential campaigns in US history are not just demanding tons of his money, but also his time.

With the 2024 election cycle well underway, Trump will soon find it more difficult to juggle his attention between the trials and his campaign, both of which will require his appearance, either in court or on a stage in front of hundreds of MAGA fans.

If you are having trouble keeping up with the mess that is Donald Trump's legal issues, TAG24 NEWS has you covered. Here's a breakdown of what the following few months will look like for Trump, and how key dates may conflict with his presidential ambitions.

August 2023

Earlier this week, Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis announced charges against Trump, marking his fourth indictment of the year, for racketeering and other offenses related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. During her announcement, she gave the former president and others charged until August 25 to turn themselves over to authorities for arraignment.

Willis has requested that the trial begin on August 5, 2024, only a few months before the presidential elections in November, but she is currently on trial for her alleged relationship with a fellow prosecutor working alongside her, an offense that could see her thrown off the case.

October 2023

On October 2, Trump and his two eldest sons – Eric and Donald Jr. – will go before a judge in New York City for a $250 million lawsuit brought forth by the state's Attorney General Letitia James.

James, who filed the suit in September 2022, alleges that Trump, members of his family, and his Trump Organization "used fraudulent and misleading asset valuations over 200 times in 10 years on his annual financial statements," which they then used "to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in loans and insurance coverage."

Trump has filed at least two countersuits against James, each for different reasons, but his legal team mysteriously dropped them.

January 2024

Donald Trump is scheduled to return to court on January 15 to face another defamation lawsuit from writer E. Jean Carroll.
Donald Trump is scheduled to return to court on January 15 to face another defamation lawsuit from writer E. Jean Carroll.  © Kena Betancur, Andrew KELLY / AFP / POOL

A new year means a new you, but for Trump, it means more court dates.

January 15 will definitely be the day to watch, as Trump returns to New York for another scheduled lawsuit from E. Jean Carroll, who is again suing him for defaming her after she won her first case against him.

That same day, the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses will begin, which Trump may be forced to miss, possibly allowing another contender to make a successful pitch to the state's voters, as it is seen as a key state for Republican candidates.

February 2024

Trump's February will keep him fairly busy, as he will battle it out in several primary contests, most notably in South Carolina, the home state of his challenger Nikki Haley.

But he may get some bad legal news, as Justice Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing Letitia James' fraud trial, is expected to deliver his ruling in the case sometime in mid-February, which may include Trump losing his ability to conduct business ever again in the state of New York.

As Trump has been in constant conflict with Engoron throughout the trial, it will come as no surprise if the ruling is harsh. Even Trump's attorney Alina Habba said in an interview that she doesn't "have high hopes" the news will be good.

March 2024

March 3 will mark this year's Super Tuesday - a huge primary election day for multiple US states, with one-third of available state delegates up for grabs. Though it won't demand Trump's appearance, it will be a big indicator of whether he manages to maintain his large lead over the party, or another candidate manages to swoop in and gain the limelight.

Trump also faces two indictments brought forth by special counsel Jack Smith – one for his mishandling of confidential documents he took from the White House, and another for his role in attempting to overturn the results of the US 2020 elections.

After the election case became Trump's third indictment of the year, Smith proposed that the trial begin on January 2, 2024. Yet, Judge Chutkan has set March 4 for the start of the trial, which could interfere with Trump's campaign to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

On March 25, Trump will be back in New York to stand trial in charges brought forth by District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the hush money case. Trump and his attorneys attempted to have the case dismissed, but their effort was ultimately squashed by the judge, who also decided to maintain the proposed date.

In March 2023, Bragg hit Trump with his very first indictment of the year, alleging the former president of illegally paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels.

May 2024

Maybe May showers will bring spring flowers for Trump... but probably not.

On May 20, Trump will return to Miami for the beginning of Jack Smith's classified documents case, which became Trump's second indictment of the year and is considered by some to be the most damning case of them all.

The biggest question on everyone's mind is what exactly will happen? Will Trump face prison time, evade conviction by winning the presidency, or be given a plea deal to keep him for running for office again? At this point, only time – which Trump is quickly running out of – will tell.

Trump has pled not guilty to all the 91 charges against him, and continues to argue he is the innocent victim of a "witch hunt."

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Design Pics, ANGELA WEISS / AFP, Drew Angerer, JOE RAEDLE, POOL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

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