Supreme Court gives Smith one week to respond to Trump on immunity
by Zach Schonfeld - 02/13/24 11:19 AM ET
The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave Special Counsel Jack Smith one week to respond to former President Trump’s request to keep his federal Jan. 6 trial on hold as he appeals his immunity claims.
In a brief order, the high court ordered Smith to respond by Tuesday, Feb. 20, not a particularly speedy schedule.
Trump filed an emergency motion Monday urging the justices to block a lower ruling that he doesn’t have presidential immunity from the indictment, an argument that has enabled Trump to delay his trial date as the appeals process proceeds.
The Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision on Trump’s motion is poised to have outsized influence on whether the former president’s trial will take place before this year’s elections. The trial was originally scheduled for March 4 but was shelved as Trump appealed the immunity issue.
Smith has aimed to take Trump to trial quickly to avoid the possibility of Trump first returning to the White House and then pardoning himself or ordering his Justice Department to drop the case.
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https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4465323-supreme-court-gives-smith-one-week-to-respond-to-trump-on-immunity/
