Judge Chutkan Halts Donald Trump's Jan. 6 Case

The Washington, D.C., judge overseeing Donald Trump's federal election subversion case agreed to temporarily pause proceedings, pending the outcome of Trump's presidential immunity appeal.

The former president was indicted on four counts in August, accused of attempting to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden in the run-up to the January 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. It is one of four criminal cases Trump is facing, which include 91 felony charges, as he campaigns to retake the White House in 2024. He has also pleaded not guilty to all counts in the other three cases.

On Wednesday, Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case, filed a brief order stating she does not at the moment have jurisdiction over the case brought by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith.

All pending deadlines and court dates in the case will be put on pause, but not vacated.

"As the D.C. Circuit recently made clear, a former President's absolute immunity would constitute "an entitlement not to stand trial or face the other burdens of litigation, such as discovery obligations," Chutkan wrote.

Newsweek has reached out to Trump and Smith via email for comment Wednesday.

"Consequently, the court agrees with both parties that Defendant's appeal automatically stays any further proceedings that would move this case towards trial or impose additional burdens of litigation on Defendant," Chutkan added.

Chutkan continued to state that Trump's move to continue to argue presidential immunity gives the higher court jurisdiction over the case.

However, she noted that if the case is returned to her, she will consider "whether to retain or continue the dates of any still-future deadlines and proceedings, including the trial scheduled for March 4."

The case would return to her if Trump's immunity claim is ultimately rejected, allowing the prosecution to move forward.

This comes as Trump is appealing Chutkan's ruling earlier this month, in which she rejected his bid to dismiss the case, based on an argument that he could not be prosecuted for official actions he took as president.

Smith has asked both the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the Supreme Court to hear the appeal on an expedited basis on Monday.

However, Trump's attorneys urged the Court of Appeals not to expedite the case in a court filing earlier on Wednesday.

"Whether a President of the United States may be criminally prosecuted for his official acts as President goes to the core of our system of separated powers and will stand among the most consequential questions ever decided by this Court," they wrote. "The manifest public interest lies in the Court's careful and deliberate consideration of these momentous issues with the utmost care and diligence."

Smith's team countered, "Expediting the appeal in this case is necessary to vindicate the public's interest in a timely trial."

Chutkan also ruled that she could enforce her past rulings, including the gag order imposed on Trump restricting his statements about prosecutors and witnesses, while the case is paused.