Trump’s Legal Battles: Immunity Claims and Election Interference Case

 Former President Trump’s ongoing legal challenges include immunity claims and election interference charges. Stay updated on key developments.

On January 4, 2024, Trump’s lawyers requested Judge Chutkan to prevent Jack Smith and his team from continuing their work, alleging they were violating court orders.

They claimed Smith believed only deadlines were suspended, not the filing of documents.

On January 7, 2024, ABC News revealed that Smith’s team found new information about Trump’s refusal to intervene during the Jan. 6 attack while watching TV in the White House.

On January 9, 2024, a three-judge panel considered Trump’s request to dismiss his case, arguing that a president could only be prosecuted if impeached and convicted.

Trump’s lawyer, D. John Sauer, argued that a president’s actions were not criminal if they resigned before impeachment.

Special counsel attorney James Pearce disagreed, stating that ordering a SEAL team to assassinate a political rival would not be considered a criminal act.

On January 16, 2024, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Twitter’s appeal to block Smith from accessing Trump’s Twitter records.

On January 18, 2024, Judge Chutkan denied Trump’s appeal to lift the gag order, but she also prohibited all parties from making new filings without her permission.

On January 23, 2024, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump’s appeal of the gag order, allowing him to appeal to the Supreme Court if he wishes.

On Feb. 2, 2024, Judge Chutkan delayed Trump’s trial start until after the Court of Appeals decided on Trump’s presidential immunity. On Feb. 6, a three-judge panel rejected Trump’s immunity claim in his election interference case.

Trump then applied for a stay, but the Supreme Court set a deadline for Smith to respond. Smith argued against Trump’s immunity, asking for an expedited review.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear Trump’s immunity appeal, setting oral arguments for April.

• On April 8, 2024, the special counsel urged the Supreme Court to deny Trump’s appeal, arguing his immunity claim was unprecedented and contradicted the country’s founding principles.
• On April 16, 2024, the Supreme Court considered whether the government correctly charged rioters in the Jan. 6 case.
• On April 25, 2024, the Supreme Court heard Trump’s appeal on his legal immunity for his actions during the 2020 election.
• On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court limited the use of a law in Trump’s case, affecting about 52 cases.

• On July 1, 2024, the Supreme Court decided Trump had some immunity, delaying his trial until after the election.
• On Aug. 3, 2024, Judge Chutkan took over Trump’s case, denying his motion to dismiss and setting a new hearing.
• On Aug. 9, 2024, Judge Chutkan delayed Trump’s case further, extending the status report and conference.
• On Aug. 27, 2024, Trump was charged again for election interference, adjusted to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
• On Aug. 30, 2024, Trump’s lawyers asked for the case to be dismissed, questioning the legality of Smith’s appointment.

On September 3, 2024, Trump decided not to attend his arraignment for the new election interference charges and allowed his lawyer to plead not guilty on his behalf.

On September 5, 2024, Trump’s lawyers pleaded not guilty to all charges in a new indictment.

Judge Chutkan allowed special counsel Jack Smith to submit a detailed brief by September 26, which could include grand jury testimony and evidence supporting immunity arguments.

On September 24, 2024, Judge Chutkan approved a brief that was 180 pages long, which was longer than the usual 45 pages, to discuss how the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision applies to Trump’s case.

On September 26, 2024, Smith submitted a comprehensive brief arguing how the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision applies to Trump’s case, which was filed under seal, meaning it was not made public yet.