Former President Donald Trump’s legal team raised doubts about the legitimacy of the criminal proceedings against him in a tense hearing before US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan. The hearing, which took place in Washington, DC, focused on four felony counts Trump faces related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 US presidential election. Trump was not present, but his defense lawyer, John Lauro, argued that the charges were invalid and should be dismissed based on a recent Supreme Court decision granting presumptive immunity to presidential actions.
Lauro claimed that the proceedings were unfair and prejudicial to Trump, who is running as the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election. However, Judge Chutkan remained focused on the specific criminal counts in front of her court and dismissed any argument related to the election. The case had been delayed multiple times due to questions about Trump’s immunity while president, but the Supreme Court’s decision clarified that while absolute immunity did not apply, presumptive immunity did for certain official actions.
In response to the Supreme Court decision, the prosecution issued an updated indictment focusing on Trump’s unofficial actions, including those taken as a presidential candidate and by his re-election campaign. The charges include conspiracy to defraud the US, obstruct an official proceeding, and prevent the free exercise of rights under the US Constitution. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, faces accusations of pressuring election officials to change the outcome of the 2020 election which culminated in the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021.
Trump’s defense team resubmitted a plea of not guilty to the superseding indictment, but Judge Chutkan made it clear that she would ultimately decide the case. The hearing was one of the first in nearly a year, and despite some light-hearted moments, the legal battle continues between Trump’s defense and the prosecution led by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
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