A federal judge postponed former FBI Director James Comey’s trial until Oct. 21 after his attorneys said they plan to seek dismissal of the case on constitutional grounds.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom,
A federal judge on Tuesday delayed the trial of former FBI Director James Comey until Oct. 21 in a criminal case centered on a social media post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47.”
U.S. District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan moved the trial date after Comey’s attorneys said they expect to file “multiple motions on constitutional grounds” seeking to have the charges dismissed before the case reaches a jury. Those motions are due in July, according to a court document.
The trial had originally been scheduled to begin in July in New Bern, North Carolina.
Federal prosecutors have charged Comey with threatening harm to President Donald Trump and transmitting a threat across state lines. The case stems from a May 2025 social media post in which Comey showed seashells arranged in the numbers “86 47.”
Trump is the 47th president of the United States. The term “86,” which originated in the restaurant industry, can mean that an item is no longer available or can be used as slang for “get rid of.”
Prosecutors allege that the arrangement amounted to a threat against the president. Comey’s legal team is expected to challenge the case before trial, including through constitutional arguments aimed at having the charges thrown out.
The new schedule gives both sides additional time to litigate those pretrial issues before the case proceeds in federal court.
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