An ongoing federal legal battle is intensifying in a New Bern courtroom as former FBI Director James Comey seeks to delay his upcoming arraignment in a North Carolina court.
Comey’s legal team filed an unopposed motion to push the hearing back to October 2026, arguing they need more time to prepare a constitutional defense.
The former director faces up to ten years in prison after a federal grand jury indicted him for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump. The charges stem from a deleted May 2025 Instagram photo showing beach seashells arranged to spell out "86 47"—numbers prosecutors interpret as a call to eliminate the 47th president.
Comey maintains his innocence, calling the prosecution a politically motivated attack, while his lawyers plan to argue the post is protected free speech.