“We’re hardly sprinting to a finish line,” Chutkan responded. The judge expressed interest in consolidating all of Trump’s immunity arguments into a single motion, aligning with the prosecution’s proposal to streamline the process and avoid multiple appeals that could cause further delays.
Immunity Issues and Procedural Debates
Special counsel Jack Smith’s team, represented by Thomas Windom, proposed that the prosecution be allowed to present its evidence and immunity-related exhibits as early as September. Windom stressed that resolving all immunity claims simultaneously would prevent the need for repeated appeals. The government seeks to consolidate the immunity issues arising from the U.S. Supreme Court’s August ruling, which granted certain protections for a president’s official acts but left room for Trump’s non-official conduct to be prosecuted.
Despite Trump’s legal team’s efforts to delay, Judge Chutkan appeared inclined to move forward swiftly, signaling that immunity appeals should be resolved without dragging out the case. Trump’s defense team, however, requested additional time, pushing for evidence to be considered in December instead.
Trump Evidentiary Delay Request : Next Steps in the Case
While Judge Chutkan did not adopt a formal schedule at Thursday’s conference, she suggested that a streamlined approach addressing immunity issues together could minimize delays. With the defense expected to challenge new elements of the indictment, including claims about the validity of special counsel Jack Smith’s appointment, the judge’s next steps will determine whether the trial proceeds at a steady pace or faces further delays.
