The process of contacting prospective jurors in former President Donald Trump's federal election interference trial appears to have started, NBC News has reported.
The news outlet published an image of a "pre-screening" form supplied by a Washington, D.C., resident.
The form, sent by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asks people about their availability to appear in person Feb. 9 to fill out a written questionnaire for use in the jury selection process for a March 4 trial, NBC News reported Monday night.
The form does not name or refer to a specific defendant. However, potential jurors are told the trial "may last approximately three months after jury selection is completed."
The court had previously set the mentioned dates both for the questionnaire and the start of Trump's trial.
"The date's public and the length is suspicious," said the person who received the form, NBC News reported. "You can easily infer what it's regarding."
Trump is charged with four counts related to efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Selecting a fair jury may be challenging. An Emerson College poll in September showed that 64% of Washington, D.C., residents would vote to find Trump guilty in the case.
The Washington, D.C., case is one of four criminal trials the former president faces. He has also been charged in Florida for allegedly mishandling classified documents, in Georgia for allegedly trying to overturn the state's 2020 election results, and in New York in a case involving hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The timeline suggests a verdict in the Washington, D.C., case could come before the July 15-18 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Trump currently is the clear front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
On Friday, Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that Trump is not immune from prosecution in his election interference case in Washington.
In her ruling, Chutkan said the office of the president "does not confer a lifelong 'get-out-of-jail-free' pass."
"Former Presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability," Chutkan wrote. "Defendant may be subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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