US judge pauses Trump 2020 election case after election victory
9/11/2024 6:18
A U.S. judge on Friday set
aside pending deadlines in President-elect Donald Trump's 2020
election subversion case after federal prosecutors said they
were grappling with the "unprecedented circumstance" of his
impending return to the White House.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington approved a
request from Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting the
criminal case, to set aside the deadlines, according to a court
order, while they weigh its future.
Prosecutors wrote the delay was necessary "to afford the
Government time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and
determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with
Department of Justice policy."
Under a Justice Department policy dating back to the 1970s,
a sitting president cannot be subject to criminal prosecution.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday
that the Justice Department was discussing how to wind down the
case as Trump prepares to again assume the presidency.
Trump pleaded not guilty last year to four criminal charges
accusing the Republican of conspiring to obstruct the collection
and certification of votes following his 2020 defeat to Democrat
Joe Biden. The effort by Trump and his allies to reverse Biden's
victory culminated in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the
U.S. Capitol following a fiery speech by the then-president near
the White house.
In Tuesday's election, Trump defeated Democratic Vice
President Kamala Harris, a victory all but certain to end two
federal cases against him.
Trump's lawyers had been due to respond by Nov. 21 to
Smith's argument that the case can proceed after a U.S. Supreme
Court ruling giving former presidents broad immunity from
prosecution over official actions taken while in office.
Smith said prosecutors would inform the judge by Dec. 2 how
they propose to move forward.
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