Supreme Court returns Trump Jan. 6 immunity judgment to lower court

(WASHINGTON) — One month after the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling on presidential immunity, the judge overseeing former President Trump’s federal election interference case now has jurisdiction over the case again.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is now likely to set a series of deadlines, including a potential status conference.

The case has been stayed for seven months as Trump’s legal team appealed presidential immunity all the way to the Supreme Court.

In a 6-3 ruling authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court found that a president has absolute immunity for acts within their core constitutional powers and a presumption of immunity for “acts within the outer perimeter of his official responsibility.”

Judge Chutkan will now be responsible for applying the Supreme Court’s decision to the allegations in Trump’s criminal case, including whether Trump’s actions were “official acts” or private conduct that can be prosecuted.

Trump last year pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election by enlisting a slate of so-called “fake electors,” using the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations,” trying to enlist the vice president to “alter the election results,” and promoting false claims of a stolen election as the Jan. 6 riot raged — all in an effort to subvert democracy and remain in power.

The former president has denied all wrongdoing.

Trump originally faced a March 4 trial date before his appeal effectively paused the proceedings for more than half a year.

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