(Washington) Special prosecutor Jack Smith, who is investigating the federal case against Donald Trump for unlawful attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, asked the US Supreme Court on Wednesday not to suspend an appeal ruling denying to the ex-president any criminal immunity.
On February 6, a federal appeals court dismissed the criminal immunity invoked by Donald Trump, reopening the way for his trial in Washington, initially scheduled for March 4, but postponed indefinitely by Judge Tanya Chutkan, who will preside over the debates, due to the appeal.
The Republican primary favorite asked the Supreme Court on Monday to suspend the appeal decision. John Roberts, the president of the Supreme Court with a conservative majority, had given the prosecution until February 20 to respond to this request, but Jack Smith did so on Wednesday.
Recalling that all procedural acts in this criminal case have already been suspended by his appeal, he asserts that Donald Trump “has no right to a new suspension while he seeks to obtain a seizure of the file by the Supreme Court” .
PHOTO JONATHAN ERNST, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith
Further delaying the trial would undermine “the public interest in a quick and fair verdict,” writes Jack Smith, emphasizing the “unique national importance of this criminal case,” in which a former president is “criminally prosecuted for attempting to maintain power by preventing the legitimate winner of the election from taking office.”
Recalling that the Supreme Court had rejected in December his request to take up this question directly by preempting the court of appeal, the special prosecutor invites it to reject both the request for suspension of Donald Trump and that to examine the case.
If, however, the Court chooses to take it up now, Jack Smith urges it to do so according to an accelerated timetable so that in the event of confirmation of the rejection of Donald Trump’s criminal immunity, “the trial can be held with reduced additional time”.
The ex-president’s defense claims “absolute immunity” for his actions committed while he was at the White House.
“For the purposes of this criminal case, former President Trump has become Citizen Trump, with the same protections as any other defendant. But any immunity relating to the executive power, which could have protected him when he was president in office, no longer protects him against these prosecutions,” wrote the three appeal judges in their unanimous decision, confirming that pronounced in December at first proceeding by Judge Chutkan.
Targeted by four separate criminal proceedings, Donald Trump is seeking through his multiple appeals to go to trial as late as possible, in any case after the presidential election on November 5.