Judge dramatically PAUSES Trump’s January 6 election interference trial during his presidential immunity appeal and potentially pushes start date LATER than March 4

Donald Trump’s criminal investigation into election interference in Washington has been put on hold while the former president claims immunity from prosecution.

Trump’s trial on charges of conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election is currently scheduled for March 4.

But the latest ruling from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan suggests it will likely be delayed, perhaps until after the 2024 election.

Trump said he was immune from the legal consequences of the Jan. 6, 2001, riot at the U.S. Capitol because he was president.

This has created a number of problems for the prosecution as the legally untested argument makes its way through the courts.

This led to a dispute over the scope of presidential power that could eventually be decided for the first time by the US Supreme Court.

The issue is key to both sides, and a possible ruling in Trump’s favor would undermine the case.

Earlier this month, Judge Chutkan rejected Trump’s claims that he was immune from prosecution for actions he took while performing his duties as president.

His lawyers then asked the Washington Court of Appeals to review the decision and called for the case to be frozen until it is decided.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump, tried to stop that by asking the Supreme Court on Monday to speed up its ruling on the immunity issue.

The court indicated it would quickly decide whether to proceed with the case and ordered Trump’s lawyers to respond by December 20.

However, there was no indication of what his final decision would be or when it would be made.

A case in the Supreme Court usually lasts several months.

In her three-page order Wednesday, Judge Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, flatly rejected Trump’s arguments that he has immunity from prosecution.

According to her, the position of president “does not provide a lifelong license to be released from prison.”

However, she ordered a stay of any “further proceedings that would bring this matter to trial or impose additional litigation burdens on the defendant” until the immunity issue is resolved.

She left open the option of keeping the current trial date if the case returns to her court.

That date and other deadlines for attorneys were paused, not canceled, she said.

The judge also said her decision had nothing to do with enforcement of a gag order limiting Trump’s speech outside the court.

Smith’s team asked Judge Chutkan not to stay the case.

They argued that the judge could continue to decide issues unrelated to the appeal while the immunity claim was decided.

Prosecutors said they would “continue to comply with all pretrial deadlines set by the court” so the case can move quickly to trial if the highest court rejects Trump’s immunity argument.

Trump’s lawyers have accused prosecutors of trying to rush the case ahead of next year’s presidential election.

“In this case, the prosecution has one goal: to unlawfully attempt to try, convict and sentence President Trump before an election in which he is likely to defeat President Biden,” they wrote.

“This constitutes a blatant attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election and disenfranchise tens of millions of voters who support President Trump’s candidacy.”