A hearing for former President Trump’s federal election interference case has been scheduled for August 16 at 10 a.m., but Trump’s presence is not required.
In a recent order obtained by The Hill, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan announced this will be a status conference. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling last month, which granted immunity to former presidents, the case had been paused. However, Chutkan’s scheduling indicates that proceedings are resuming.
Tanya Chutkan and Donald Trump
By August 9, all parties involved are expected to file a status report that proposes a potential timeline for “pretrial proceedings moving forward.” Chutkan noted that any disagreements could be addressed in separate sections of the report.
It is unlikely that the case will reach trial before the upcoming presidential election in the fall. The Supreme Court’s decision may influence how Chutkan approaches the specifics of the case. After the Supreme Court’s 32-day delay, the case has returned to Chutkan’s court.
Although the next steps remain uncertain, Trump’s legal team has argued for postponing the prosecutions until after the election. The new deadlines will provide insight into how Special Counsel Jack Smith plans to handle the immunity issue.
Previously, Chutkan rejected Trump’s attempts to delay the case, indicating that the timing of the election would not affect her decisions. Although there was a possibility the trial could have occurred before November, the Supreme Court’s ruling has altered the schedule.
Chutkan has also dismissed Trump’s motion to dismiss the indictment on statutory grounds, allowing him to file a new motion after resolving all immunity issues. “The court will set additional deadlines following the August 16, 2024, status conference,” Chutkan stated.
