Washington (US):Former US President Donald Trump's impeachment lawyer David Schoen has asked for the trial to be paused if it runs into the Sabbath citing he is an observant Jew, in a move that could throw the timeline into uncertainty.
Sabbath refers to a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, usually kept by the members of the Jewish community from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most members of the Christian community on Sunday.
In a letter obtained by The New York Times, Schoen asked that the trial be suspended if it was not finished by the beginning of the Sabbath at 5:24 pm on Friday and that it not reconvene until Sunday.
"I apologise for the inconvenience my request that impeachment proceedings not be conducted during the Jewish Sabbath undoubtedly will cause other people involved in the proceedings... The practices and prohibitions are mandatory for me, however; so, respectfully, I have no choice but to make this request," Schoen wrote in a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Patrick J Leahy, who as president pro tempore is presiding over the trial.
Schumer's spokesperson on Saturday (local time) said an allowance would be made for Schoen but did not elaborate on how.