U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has granted former President Donald Trump's request to broaden the court inquiry into presidential immunity concerning the classified documents case at Mar-a-Lago. This decision follows the Supreme Court's recent ruling that Trump has immunity from prosecution for certain actions taken as president in the federal election interference case.
Judge Cannon also permitted special counsel Jack Smith to file a brief on the use of classified information in the trial, while delaying upcoming deadlines for Trump and his co-defendants. Smith has until July 18 to submit his report, and Trump's team has until July 21 to respond.
Trump's legal team had previously asked for a pause in the judicial process to assess the implications of the Supreme Court's decision on the Florida case regarding Trump's mishandling of classified documents. Trump faces 31 charges related to retaining national defense information, each carrying a potential 10-year prison sentence, along with charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
The Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity has significantly impacted Trump's legal strategy. The former president's lawyers are now working to minimize or dismiss two of the three other criminal cases pending against him. In New York, Trump was convicted last May of 34 charges related to falsifying business records, and his legal team has sought to overturn this verdict based on the immunity ruling.
Trump also faces charges in Washington and Georgia of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. However, these cases have been complicated by the Supreme Court's immunity decision, making it unlikely that a trial will occur before the next presidential elections.
President Joe Biden has criticized the Supreme Court's decision, arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent by removing legal restrictions on presidential powers. Biden expressed concern that the ruling could impact the integrity of future presidential actions, especially with the upcoming elections.
