Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled on Friday that Donald Trump does not have immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct he made as president, denying the Republican’s request to dismiss the lawsuit alleging him of plotting to reverse his 2020 election defeat.
Chutkan, a radical anti-Trump judge in Washington D.C., found no legal foundation for determining that former presidents of the United States cannot face criminal charges once they leave office.
Trump, the Republican presidential favorite in 2024, may immediately appeal the judgment, which could postpone the trial while an appeals court and, perhaps, the Supreme Court consider the matter. The study is presently set to start in March.
Chutkan’s decision moves Trump one step closer to face a jury on accusations that he tried to hinder Congress’ certification of his election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and accused prosecutors of seeking to harm his presidential campaign. The lawsuit is one of four criminal cases Trump faces as he bids to reclaim the presidency.
Trump has additional court petitions filed to dismiss the lawsuit, alleging that it violates his free speech rights and is legally unsound.
Because Trump is the first current or previous U.S. president