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Mueller investigation: Judge schedules Roger Stone trial for November

WASHINGTON — A judge has set Nov. 5 as the start date for political consultant Roger Stone's trial on charges of obstruction, giving false statements and witness tampering.

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Update 10:40 a.m. EDT March 14: U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she expects Stone's trial to last at least two weeks, NBC News reported. Stone has pleaded not guilty.

Jackson declined to make a ruling Thursday on whether Stone violated a February gag order with the recent reprint of his 2016 book, "The Myth of Russian Collusion: The Inside Story of How Donald Trump REALLY Won," which included a new introduction critical of Mueller. Stone had been barred from making public statements about Mueller or his investigation on Feb. 21.

Stone's attorneys said Monday that it hadn't occurred to them to bring up the new introduction during the Feb. 21 hearing, and "even if it had … it seems a bit awkward to have sought to introduce the new introduction at that very moment during argument."

Jackson appeared to reject that claim Thursday, telling Stone's attorneys, "The last thing you should worry about is whether telling the court would be an uncomfortable," according to BuzzFeed News. "There's no exception for awkward."

Since his arrest Jan. 25 at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Stone has been outspoken in proclaiming his innocence and criticizing Mueller's team, which he has accused of targeting him because of his politics.

Stone is expected to appear in court on April 30 for his next hearing, BuzzFeed News reported.

Original report: Political consultant Roger Stone will appear Thursday morning in federal court, weeks after a judge rebuffed him for failing to tell the court about a recently published book in which he was critical of special counsel Robert Mueller.

Stone is scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. Thursday for a status conference before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Attorneys are expected to address outstanding pretrial issues at the hearing, according to CNN.

Jackson barred Stone on Feb. 21 from making any public statements about his case, Mueller’s probe of Russian election meddling or any of the people involved in either investigation. The gag order was issued after Stone posted an image of Jackson and what appeared to be a rifle’s crosshair to Instagram.

Earlier this month, Jackson ordered Stone to explain why he failed to tell the court about the recent reprint of his 2016 book, “The Myth of Russian Collusion: The Inside Story of How Donald Trump REALLY Won.” The book, which became available online in January, includes a new introduction in which Stone is critical of Mueller, an apparent violation of his gag order.

Stone’s attorneys said Monday in a court filing that it hadn’t occurred to them to bring up the new introduction during the Feb. 21 hearing, and “even if it had… it seems a bit awkward to have sought to introduce the new introduction at that very moment during argument.”

Stone's attorneys argued in a previous court filing that the book didn't violate the gag order because parts relevant to the case were published online before the gag order was issued, according to The New York Times.

Authorities arrested Stone, a former adviser to President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, in January on charges of obstruction, giving false statements and witness tampering. He has pleaded not guilty.

Since his arrest Jan. 25 at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Stone has been outspoken in proclaiming his innocence and criticizing Mueller’s team, which he has accused of targeting him because of his politics.

Stone was the sixth Trump aide to be charged in connection with Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its possible ties to Trump campaign officials.