Trump Jan. 6 case to resume after presidential immunity ruling
By
Ashley Oliver
August 2, 2024 4:00 am
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Former President Donald Trump’s election interference case is set to resume as early as Friday in Washington, D.C., after sitting dormant for months while the Supreme Court mulled presidential immunity.
The case’s anticipated revival could pave the way for dramatic pre-trial court proceedings in the coming months, serving as the only remaining case out of Trump’s four criminal prosecutions to see significant activity ahead of the presidential election.
The Supreme Court issued its decision on presidential immunity on July 1, and the high court’s order, known as a “mandate,” will be turned over to presiding Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday.
Chutkan, an Obama appointee, will probably not hold any hearings immediately, but the judge will likely provide expectations about what will come next through a scheduling update on Friday or in the coming days, according to legal experts.
The Defend Democracy Project, a group comprising Trump legal critics, said in a statement that Chutkan’s next moves could lead to a “mini-trial,” which would involve a series of court hearings in which special counsel Jack Smith and Trump’s defense team closely examine and argue over actions in the former president’s indictment.
“Whatever Judge Chutkan does on Friday opens the door for a possible mini trial around Trump’s participation in the attack on our country on January 6, 2021,” the Defend Democrat Project said.
The Supreme Court ruled in its landmark decision on immunity that actions presidents perform as part of their official job duties are protected from criminal prosecution. The high court said certain actions in Smith’s indictment, such as Trump’s communications with his Department of Justice, are therefore off-limits from being used against Trump.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/3108115/trump-jan-6-case-resume-presidential-immunity-ruling/
