WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The judge overseeing Donald Trump's any remaining court deadlines Friday while prosecutors assess the 鈥渢he appropriate course going forward鈥� in light of the
Special Counsel Jack Smith charged Trump last year with and . But Smith's team has been evaluating how to wind down the before the president-elect takes office because of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.
Trump has criticized both cases as politically motivated, and has said he would
In a court filing Friday in the 2020 election case, Smith's team asked to cancel any upcoming court deadlines, saying it needs 鈥渢ime to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy."
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan quickly granted the request, and ordered prosecutors to file court papers with their 鈥減roposed course for this case鈥� by Dec. 2.
Trump had been scheduled to stand trial in March in Washington, where more than 1,000 of his supporters have been convicted of charges for their roles But his case was halted as Trump pursued his sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution that ultimately landed before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court in July ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to Chutkan to determine which of the the allegations in the indictment can move forward.
The classified documents case has been stalled since July when a Trump-appointed judge, Aileen Cannon, . Smith has appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the request to revive the case is pending. Even as Smith looks to withdraw the documents case against Trump, he would seem likely to continue to challenge Cannon鈥檚 ruling on the legality of his appointment given the precedent such a ruling would create.
Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press
