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HomeLocalCourtroom Drama: Judge Puts the Brakes on Trump's Election Case as Prosecutors...

Courtroom Drama: Judge Puts the Brakes on Trump’s Election Case as Prosecutors Seek Dismissal of Charges

 

 

Judge pauses proceedings in Trump election case as prosecution considers dropping charges


WASHINGTON − U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has suspended all filing deadlines in the election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump, as federal prosecutors prepare to drop the charges.

 

This ruling from Chutkan follows comments from a Justice Department insider indicating that special counsel Jack Smith is looking to conclude both federal cases against Trump due to policy that disallows the prosecution of a sitting president.

In a filing on Friday, Smith noted, “The Government respectfully requests that the Court eliminate the remaining deadlines in the pretrial schedule to allow time to evaluate this unusual situation and determine the best course of action in line with Department of Justice policy.”

The Trump campaign responded by asserting that the criminal cases against the president-elect should be dismissed.

 

Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung stated, “The American people have overwhelmingly re-elected President Trump with a strong mandate to Make America Great Again.”

Cheung further emphasized, “It is now clear that Americans desire a swift end to what they see as the misuse of our justice system, enabling us to, as President Trump said in his landmark victory speech, come together as a nation and work for its improvement.”

 

Pursuing the charges against the former president would contravene longstanding policy that forbids prosecuting a current president. The decision regarding charge withdrawal is expected in the coming weeks due to impending deadlines in the federal cases.

 

Trump faces allegations in Washington, D.C., claiming he attempted to rig the 2020 election and obstruct Congress from certifying Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021. Chutkan was assessing whether Trump might be shielded from these charges under a July Supreme Court ruling.

 

Additionally, Trump has been indicted on charges related to the unlawful retention of classified documents following his departure from the White House. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed these charges, determining that Smith’s appointment was improper, although Trump has appealed this ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.