Former President Donald Trump’s March 4 trial has been canceled. Judge Tanya K. Chutkan delivered good news for Trump and his criminal defense and election efforts Friday afternoon, February 2. Earlier this year, the Obama appointee to the federal bench scheduled Trump’s criminal trial over January 6 insurrection charges for March 4 – one day before Super Tuesday in the 2024 Republican primary.
The new order doesn’t mean the charges are dropped, but it does delay indefinitely the trial. Judge Chutkan said a new trial would be scheduled “if and when the mandate is returned” by the appellate courts.
This is the former president’s second procedural win against Special Counsel Jack Smith. A federal appeals court is considering whether Trump can claim presidential immunity from prosecution for his actions in office. Smith argued against immunity, and had asked the US Supreme Court to fast-track the issue, skipping the lower courts. The Court rejected Smith’s request on December 22 without comment, stating simply: “The petition for a writ of certiorari before judgement is denied.”
Trump had another win, of sorts, on a different legal front earlier in the day, February 2. Fani Willis, district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, admitted in court documents to having had an intimate relationship with Nathan Wade, the man she appointed lead prosecutor to get Trump on state charges of election meddling.
