U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has scheduled a pretrial meeting on Aug. 16 in the U.S. criminal case accusing Donald Trump of illegally attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat, according to a court document revealed on Saturday.
The case had been on pause for nearly eight months to allow for Trump to get his presidential immunity claim adjudicated, and Chutkan's order comes after she regained jurisdiction in the case.
It is anticipated that in the coming weeks, Chutkan will decide which aspects of the indictment obtained by Special Counsel Jack Smith must be dismissed following the Supreme Court ruling that former presidents are granted broad immunity for official actions while in office.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to four criminal counts alleging a multi-part conspiracy to undermine his 2020 election loss.
In a court document on Saturday, Chutkan stated that Trump will not be required to appear in court for the status conference on Aug. 16. All parties have been requested to propose a schedule for pretrial proceedings by Aug. 9.
Chutkan also rejected two of Trump's motions to dismiss the charges against him, one on statutory grounds and one on vindictive and selective prosecution basis.
She mentioned that Trump may file a renewed motion after all immunity issues have been resolved.
The Supreme Court's decision to take up the immunity claim case, which it heard in April and ruled on July 1, has made it nearly impossible for the criminal case to go to trial before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5.
Chutkan has previously assured to provide Trump with about 90 days to prepare for trial once the case returns to her courtroom, with a trial expected to last six to eight weeks.
Trump, the first former U.S. president to face criminal prosecution, is the Republican nominee for president, while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the delegate votes needed to clinch the Democratic nomination.
Analysis
In this article, it is revealed that Donald Trump is facing a pretrial meeting in a criminal case over his alleged illegal actions to overturn the 2020 election defeat. The case had been on hold for several months to address Trump's immunity claim, which is now being adjudicated. The judge is expected to determine which parts of the indictment must be dismissed based on the Supreme Court ruling regarding immunity for former presidents. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will not be required to appear in court for the upcoming status conference. The article also mentions that Trump's motions to dismiss the charges were denied, and he may file a renewed motion after immunity issues are resolved. This development has implications for the upcoming U.S. presidential election and could have significant consequences for Trump's political future.