The Florida federal judge overseeing Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago case has temporarily halted some proceedings following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon issued a pair of orders in Fort Pierce, Florida, federal court on Saturday, including a partial stay of impending deadlines. This decision comes in light of the high court’s ruling that former presidents are presumptively immune from criminal prosecution for official acts.
“In order to allow for full briefing on the motion, and consistent with the special counsel’s request for the standard response period, the court stays the following impending deadlines: Defendants’ Rule 16 expert disclosures, currently due July 8, 2024; defendants’ reciprocal discovery, currently due July 10, 2024; and special counsel’s CIPA §§ 5-6 submission, currently due July 10, 2024, although the special counsel may proceed with filing should it so elect,” Judge Cannon ruled in a docket entry.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Case : Motion to Dismiss Indictment Denied
Additionally, Judge Cannon denied a motion to dismiss the superseding indictment against Trump’s personal aide, Walt Nauta. The judge stated that the court reserves ruling on Trump’s February motion to dismiss the indictment based on presidential immunity. The special counsel has until July 18 to respond to Trump’s motion to stay and request for supplemental briefing on presidential immunity, which was filed last Friday.
Supreme Court Ruling and its Impact
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that former presidents have presumptive immunity for official acts but not unofficial ones. Trump’s counsel argued that the ruling warrants a stay that pauses Classified Information Procedures Act litigation. This move, they argued, aligns with U.S. Department of Justice policies and practices that the special counsel’s office claims to follow but is allegedly ignoring.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Case : Details of the Charges
Trump and Walt Nauta, along with Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, were charged in July 2023 with conspiracy to obstruct the investigation into the alleged illegal retention of classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Trump and Nauta were initially charged in June 2023, and all three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Judge’s Orders on Nauta’s Claims
Judge Cannon also addressed Nauta’s claims of vindictive and selective prosecution. She stated that Nauta failed to “clear the bar” for his request to dismiss the indictment. Nauta’s argument hinged on claims that similarly situated individuals were not prosecuted and that prosecutors were motivated by discriminatory purposes. However, Judge Cannon found that the individuals Nauta cited as comparators were distinguishable in conduct and relationship to the charges.
Response to Special Counsel’s Actions
Judge Cannon disagreed with arguments suggesting that special counsel attorneys had animus against Nauta for refusing “potential favorability on Mr. Woodward’s potential judicial nomination” to the District of Columbia Superior Court. She stated that even if Nauta’s version of events were accepted, it does not serve as a basis for dismissal, nor does it entitle him to discovery or an evidentiary hearing.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Case : Next Steps
Judge Cannon’s order does not halt a pending gag order motion by the government, which seeks to prohibit Trump from making statements that could expose investigating officials to “threats, violence and harassment.”
