Lawyers for former US President Donald Trump on Friday asked a US judge to partially pause the criminal case accusing him of mishandling classified documents, citing the US Supreme Court ruling that presidents have broad immunity for official acts.
In a new court filing, Trump’s team said they want an updated schedule in the federal classified documents case so they can argue points related to the Supreme Court decision, according to CNN.
The decision “guts the Office’s position that President Trump has ‘no immunity’ and further demonstrates the politically-motivated nature of their contention that the motion is ‘frivolous,’” Trump’s attorneys wrote.
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution. While the Supreme Court’s decision directly applies to the federal case over 2020 election subversion efforts in Washington, DC, it could impact all four of the criminal cases against the former president.
In the filing Friday, Trump’s attorneys also noted Justice Clarence Thomas concurrence to the decision, questioning the validity of special counsel Jack Smith’s appointment. Trump’s attorneys argue the concurrence “adds force” to motions Trump has filed against how Smith was appointed and funded.
Trump’s lawyers previously asked the judge in Trump’s hush money trial to set aside his conviction and delay his sentencing.
The judge later ruled that Trump will not be sentenced in that case until September.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 40 counts of unauthorized retention of national defense information, obstruction of justice and false statements.
Prosecutors have accused Trump of taking top-secret documents with him when he left the White House in 2021 and storing them haphazardly at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has denounced the indictment against him as "ridiculous and baseless."
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)