The Justice Department is asking for more time to review the landmark Supreme Court ruling that granted former President Donald Trump substantial immunity from prosecution, further deferring the federal election interference case.
Lawyers for Special Counsel Jack Smith wrote U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ahead of a Friday deadline, to request more time to develop “an informed proposal” about next steps in the four-count felony case against Trump.
The prosecutors said they have been consulting with other parts of the Justice Department but need more time to finalize their position. They proposed filing an update with the court by Aug. 30.
Defense attorneys for Trump did not oppose the delay, the Thursday night filing said.
If the judge approves the request, it would push pretrial proceedings in the case well into September. The prosecution of the former president stalled for eight months while higher courts reviewed Trump’s bid for immunity for actions he took while in the White House.
The case charges Trump with conspiring to defraud the United States, and deprive millions of voters of the right for their 2020 ballots to be counted. There's now no chance the case will to go to trial before Election Day in November. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
If Trump regains the White House, he could order the Justice Department to drop the prosecution, which accuses him of taking illegal actions that culminated in violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
More than 140 law enforcement officers suffered injuries that day, in what the Justice Department has called the largest mass-casualty event for police.
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