Special counsel Jack Smith, left, seen in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 1, and former President Donald Trump, seen in Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 8, 2022.
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The special counsel prosecuting Donald Trump for alleged prison interference in the 2020 election requested the Supreme Court on Monday to hear an enchantment on whether or not Trump is protected in the case by presidential immunity.
The request by special counsel Jack Smith seeks to fast-track a solution to that question earlier than Trump’s scheduled March trial date in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
And if the Supreme Court takes the case, its final ruling may decide whether or not Trump faces vital prison publicity over his conduct on the heels of the 2020 election as he seeks the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
“This case includes points of remarkable nationwide significance,” Smith’s workplace wrote in its request to the Supreme Court.
The movement says that Trump’s trial in Washington “can not proceed whereas” his associated enchantment is pending.
“This case presents a elementary question on the coronary heart of our democracy: whether or not a former President is completely immune from federal prosecution for crimes dedicated whereas in workplace or is constitutionally shielded from federal prosecution when he has been impeached however not convicted earlier than the prison proceedings start,” the submitting stated.
The trial choose in the case, Tanya Chutkan, final week dominated that Trump doesn’t have absolute immunity from prosecution in the case by advantage of getting been president on the time of the alleged crimes.
Trump then requested the federal appeals court docket for Washington to reverse that call.
Smith’s court docket filings Monday requested the appeals court docket to expedite Trump’s enchantment and in addition requested the Supreme Court to instantly take up the question in its present time period.
Three of the Supreme Court’s 9 justices had been appointed by Trump. The court docket has a 6-3 conservative supermajority.
Trump is charged with crimes associated to his try to reverse his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden.
He has pleaded not responsible in the case.
Trump individually is charged in Georgia state court docket with racketeering conspiracy prices associated to his efforts to undo his loss to Biden in the state in the 2020 election.
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