U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Wednesday agreed to largely halt proceedings in former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference case as he appeals her denial for his bid to have the case thrown out on the grounds of “presidential immunity.”
Chutkan previously dismissed the Trump team’s arguments, ruling that his “four-year service as Commander-in-Chief did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens.”
She did, however, ultimately side with their argument that proceedings ought to be halted so long as his appeal is pending. Prosecutors had urged her to keep the trial on track for March 4, a date Chutkan now says she’ll revisit after the appeal decision.
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“[T]he court hereby STAYS the deadlines and proceedings scheduled by its Pretrial Order, as amended,” Chutkan wrote in her ruling.
She added that the stay does not force the court to set aside measures it “already imposed to safeguard the integrity of these proceedings” including the conditions of Trump’s release and associated protective orders.
