Special counsel Jack Smith has requested more time from a federal court in Washington, D.C., as his team navigates the implications of the Supreme Court’s recent immunity ruling in former President Donald Trump’s election interference case. The request, filed with Judge Tanya Chutkan’s court, comes as prosecutors continue to assess the impact of the ruling in Trump v. United States.
Originally, a status conference was scheduled for August 16, with both parties required to submit a joint status report by Friday, outlining a proposed schedule for pretrial proceedings. However, the special counsel’s office cited the need for additional time due to ongoing consultations within the Justice Department, which are necessary to determine the most appropriate legal strategy in light of the Supreme Court’s decision.
“Although those consultations are well underway, the Government has not finalized its position on the most appropriate schedule for the parties to brief issues related to the decision,” the special counsel’s office explained in court documents posted on social media site X.
In response to the ongoing deliberations, prosecutors requested an extension to submit the joint status report by Friday, August 30, and to postpone the scheduled status conference to a later, mutually convenient date. Notably, Trump’s legal team did not object to this request.
Kyle Cheney, senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, commented on X that the decision now rests with Judge Chutkan. “Chutkan and the DC Circuit seemed ready to move quickly, so there’s a bit of a hurry-up-and-wait sense here,” he wrote. Cheney also noted that this delay could impact the timeline for a potential pre-election “mini-trial,” an idea supported by some of Smith’s backers.
Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance also weighed in on the delay request, noting that it was “not a surprise.” She emphasized the importance of thoroughness in this complex legal matter: “They must separate official from unofficial acts & getting it right is more important than getting it fast,” she wrote on X.
This extension request follows closely on the heels of Judge Chutkan’s recent decision to reject eight motions from anonymous parties who sought to file under the Crime Victims Relief Act. The case stems from Smith’s accusation against Trump, made a year ago, of conspiring to defraud the United States and obstruct official proceedings related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Trump has pleaded not guilty and subsequently took his presidential immunity challenge to the Supreme Court, which ruled that Trump was protected from prosecution when he pressured the Justice Department to support his unfounded election fraud claims.