Judge in election interference case hands Trump legal blow after SCOTUS immunity ruling

Judge Tanya Chutkan on Saturday set a hearing for 10 a.m. on Aug. 16 in the Department of Justice's election interference case against Donald Trump — marking “the first time in seven months the parties will appear in” the judge’s courtroom, ABC News reports.

Special counsel Jack Smith last year charged Trump with four criminal counts related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election “by conspiring to obstruct Congress' meeting on Jan. 6, 2021” and scheming to “replace legitimate presidential electors with fraudulent slates,” USA Today reports.

That case was put in hold as the Supreme Court contemplated whether Trump was immune from criminal prosecution for actions taken while in office. SCOTUS last month carved out a framework for presidential immunity that included absolute immunity for presidential actions taken within their core constitutional duties, and partial immunity for official acts "outside of their core duties," the New York Times reports.

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Chutkan on Friday received the case back from the Supreme Court after a 32-day waiting period.

According to the Hill, "in her order, Chutkan denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the indictment based on statutory grounds and said he could file a new motion “once all issues of immunity have been resolved.”

Per ABC News:

Judge Chutkan will be responsible for applying the Supreme Court's decision to the allegations in Trump's criminal case, including whether Trump's actions were "official acts" or private conduct that can be prosecuted.

Chutkan, in her order, also set a timeline for determining pretrial proceedings.

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"By August 9, 2024, the parties shall confer and file a status report that proposes, jointly to the extent possible, a schedule for pretrial proceedings moving forward. If necessary, the parties may explain any disagreements in separate sections of the report," Chutkan wrote.

The case is not expected to go to trial before the 2024 presidential election.

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