Federal prosecutors and lawyers for Donald Trump returned to court to discuss how to move forward with the federal election subversion case against Trump
It is the first hearing after the supreme court’s ruling granting him broad immunity from criminal charges.
Donald Trump’s lawyers; Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, John Lauro and Greg Singer were present in the courtroom. Trump was not in the courtoom
A not guilty plea was entered on Trump’s behalf for the revised indictment.
Special counsel Jack Smith’s team filed a revised indictment last week to strip out certain allegations against Trump for which the Supreme Court said Trump, the Republican nominee for President, enjoyed immunity.
Defense lawyers, however, believe that that indictment did not fully comply with the justices’ ruling.
During the hearing, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan clashed with Trump attorney John Lauro, who argued that special counsel Jack Smith’s team was rushing forward with an “illegitimate” indictment before the November presidential election.
“We want an orderly process that does justice to the supreme court opinion,” Lauro told the court.
Lauro told Chutkan that the Supreme Court’s opinion required the outright dismissal of the case, a position the judge made clear she did not accept.
He complained that prosecutors were showing a “rush to judgment” with their plans to soon file court papers explaining why the remaining allegations should remain intact.
She also bristled at Lauro’s reference to the November election, such as when he said: “This process is inherently unfair, particularly during this sensitive time.”
The judge said, “I understand that there is an election. I’ve said before … that the electoral process and the timing of the election … is not relevant here. The court is not concerned with the electoral schedule.”
“We are talking about the presidency of the United States,” Lauro responded, to which Chutkan shot back, “I’m not talking about the presidency of the United States. I’m talking about a four count indictment.”
She went on to say that it appeared that the defense was trying to delay the case because of the election, adding, “That’s not going to be a factor I consider at all.”
The federal judge presiding in Donald Trump’s criminal prosecution for interfering in the 2020 election said that she would not consider political concerns in deciding how the case should proceed after the supreme court granted broad immunity to former presidents.
The US district judge Tanya Chutkan said at a hearing in federal district court in Washington on Thursday that she viewed the Trump team’s proposals as a way to limit anything that could be politically damaging from emerging with less than 70 days until election day.
Chutkan told the lead Trump lawyer John Lauro, “It strikes me that what you’re trying to do is affect the presentation of evidence in this case in a way so as not to impinge on the election of the President.”
The admonishment from Chutkan came as both sides asked the judge to file the first brief after Trump was re-indicted last month on slimmed down charges, after the supreme court deemed the original indictment to contain charges for which Trump was immune.
Trump Election Interference Hearing Adjourns Without New Trial Date
Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, did not schedule a date for the trial.
She stated that it was a “an exercise in futility” because “the issue of immunity will stop these proceedings once again.”
Neither side envisions a trial happening before Election Day, especially given the amount of work ahead.
Chutkan is tasked with determining which of the acts alleged in the indictment can remain part of the case in light of the Supreme Court opinion.
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