A federal judge overseeing the case involving former President Trump in Florida has decided to halt several court deadlines to evaluate the issue of presidential immunity.
Trump's legal team filed a motion on Friday requesting a temporary suspension of further proceedings in the case initiated by special counsel Jack Smith. The motion seeks to delay the case until President Trump's claims based on Presidential immunity and the Appointments and Appropriations Clauses are addressed.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has agreed to review the arguments presented, allowing a two-week period for both parties to prepare briefs on the relevance of the Supreme Court's recent ruling on presidential immunity. The charges against Trump stem from Smith's investigation into his handling of classified materials.
Trump has entered a plea of not guilty to the 37 felony counts brought against him, which include allegations of willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements. Additionally, Trump faces three additional counts following a superseding indictment from the investigation, including more charges related to the retention of national defense information and obstruction of justice.
The Supreme Court's recent 6-3 decision in the Trump v. United States case clarified that a former president enjoys significant immunity from prosecution for official acts conducted while in office, but not for unofficial actions. The court directed the lower court to further examine whether Trump is immune from prosecution concerning his actions related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
