WASHINGTON – U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday approved special counsel Jack Smith’s request for more time to propose next steps in the government’s election interference case against former President Donald Trump.
The decision came a day later Smith and other prosecutors asked the judge to postpone until August 30 to propose a new work schedule for the case.
Chutkan gave prosecutors and Trump’s legal team until Friday to submit a joint status report, including a timeline for pretrial proceedings, ahead of a scheduled August 16 status conference.
The special counsel’s office said in a filing Thursday that prosecutors are still evaluating the “new precedent” set by the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump’s immunity.
“Although those consultations have continued successfully, the Government has not finalized its position on the most appropriate timetable for the parties to brief the issues related to the decision,” the special prosecutor’s office said. “Therefore, the Government respectfully requests additional time to submit to the Court an informed proposal regarding the timeline for the pretrial process. The Defense does not object to the Government’s request for an extension.”
Smith asked Chutkan to give them and Trump’s attorneys until August 30 to file a joint status report and then schedule a status conference. Friday’s order granted that extension and set a status conference for Sept. 5.
The appeals process determined that the trial would not be held until the Nov. 5 polling day.
In each of the four criminal cases filed against Trump, the former president and his legal team have tried to delay the process as long as possible in order to run out the election or drop the charges.
Last weekend Chutkan denied oldr movement From Trump reject the charge of interference in the electiontook the lawsuit filed before the Supreme Court.
Zoe Richards contributed.