New York [US], November 9: Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan decided on November 8 to stop Mr. Trump 's case in Washington DC at the request of special prosecutor Jack Smith, according to AFP.
In his motion, Mr. Smith referred to Mr. Trump's election as president and his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The prosecutor asked the judge to "freeze" the deadline for the defendant to respond to the prosecution's comments.
Smith said the ruling would give Mr. Trump time to assess the "unprecedented" situation and determine the appropriate course for the case consistent with Justice Department policy. Ms. Chutkan agreed with the request and had no further comment.
Under a 1970s Justice Department policy, a sitting president cannot be criminally prosecuted. This policy is believed to apply to Mr Trump even if he is prosecuted while he is no longer president.
Trump was indicted on four charges in the 2020 election interference case, which was heard in federal court in Washington DC. The case became complicated after the US Supreme Court ruled in July that a former president was immune from criminal prosecution for official actions while in office.
Without the prosecutors' new motion, Trump's side will have to respond by November 21 to Smith's argument that the case can continue despite the Supreme Court's ruling.
Prosecutor Smith said he would submit a report on the status of the case and next steps to the court by December 2.
Trump's victory
The suspension of the case is a legal victory for Mr. Trump, who has so far pleaded not guilty. Without the prosecutor's move, Mr. Trump is likely to put pressure on the Justice Department to suspend his cases after taking office, according to US media. He previously declared that he would fire Mr. Jack Smith "in two seconds" after returning to the White House.
This week, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Justice Department is discussing putting Trump's cases on hold as he prepares to take office.
In addition to the above case, Mr. Trump was convicted in New York state of falsifying business records to hide payments to an adult film star before the 2016 election.
Mr Trump's lawyers have asked for the conviction to be overturned based on the Supreme Court's immunity ruling. Judge Juan Merchan will decide on the request on November 12.
In Georgia, Mr. Trump is also accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election results in that state, but the case is also likely to be frozen under Justice Department policy.
In addition, the president-elect was prosecuted by prosecutor Jack Smith for storing confidential government documents at his home after leaving office, but the case was dismissed in July by Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida, who was appointed by Mr. Trump, on the grounds that Mr. Smith was appointed illegally.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper