Trump’s federal trial by Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has been further delayed, potentially being an asset to the Trump campaign. Smith originally requested a January date, but the District court judge set it to Super Tuesday on March 4. Now, it has been further pushed back.
The calculus for the Trump campaign is uncertain. Court appearances during the end of the campaign will make travel more difficult, but will also galvanize Republican voters more. A conviction in DC before the election would also trigger a major constitutional crisis. NPR reports:
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday vacated the March 4 trial date in the case brought by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith but did not immediately set a new date.
The move opens the door for a separate prosecution in New York, charging Trump in connection with hush money payments to a porn actor, to proceed first. That case has long been seen as arguably the least legally perilous of the four indictments Trump faces, with the alleged misconduct less grave than accusations of mishandling classified documents or plotting to subvert a presidential election.
What would happen if Trump won the Presidential election? According to the NY Times, Trump would be immune from prosecution during his Presidency and could even through out the charges:
Depending on the justices’ actions, the election interference case could go to trial in Federal District Court in Washington as early as April or it could be delayed until after the election. If that occurs and Mr. Trump wins, he could ask his Justice Department to throw the charges out. Even if the charges were left in place, the proceedings against him could be frozen for as long as he is in office, under a longstanding Justice Department policy against prosecution a sitting president.
Judge Henderson has generally shown herself to be more willing than some of her colleagues on the appeals court to rule in ways favorable to Mr. Trump.
Legal action by an opposition party against a candidate is unheard of in American history. The trials will have a major impact on America’s future, deciding whether the people are sovereign or whether government bureaucrats can influence an election.
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