Jack Smith files superseding indictment against Trump in Jan. 6 case

Prosecutors filed a superseding indictment within the federal felony case towards Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, after the Supreme Courtroom granted the previous president substantial immunity, based on a brand new court docket submitting.

Courtroom papers say the superseding indictment was introduced to a brand new grand jury that had not beforehand heard proof within the case. The papers say the brand new indictment “displays the Authorities’s efforts to respect and implement the Supreme Courtroom’s holdings and remand directions.”

Prosecutor Molly Gaston, in a brand new court docket submitting, mentioned the Justice Division is not going to insist that Trump make an in-person look for arraignment on the brand new indictment. The Justice Division mentioned it’ll consult with Trump’s attorneys and attempt to give you a joint proposal for the best way to proceed within the case. Decide Tanya Chutkan had requested for an replace by Friday.

Particular counsel Jack Smith has been consulting with different officers contained in the Justice Division for weeks concerning the case, which accuses then-President Trump of main a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 presidential election and disenfranchise tens of millions of voters. The scheme allegedly culminated in a cascade of violent assaults on police on the U.S. Capitol three years in the past.

Trump has denied all prices. His attorneys have mentioned Trump’s phrases and actions on and earlier than Jan. 6, 2021, amounted to authentic inquiry about attainable election fraud. A conservative supermajority on the Supreme Courtroom largely sided with Trump, giving the previous president absolute immunity from prosecution for acts that have been “core” to his official duties.

In a press release on Reality Social on Tuesday, Trump known as the superseding indictment “an effort to resurrect a ‘useless’ Witch Hunt.” He alleged that the “ridiculous new Indictment towards me” must be dismissed.

The excessive court docket ruling, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, particularly carved out a part of the case the place Trump had been accused of misusing the Justice Division to pursue phony theories of fraud on the poll field. However the opinion left open many vital questions for a D.C. trial choose to pursue.

Chutkan requested attorneys for each Smith and Trump for steerage about the best way to proceed.

There is not any likelihood the case will probably be tried earlier than Election Day in November. And if Trump prevails, he might direct his appointees on the Justice Division to drop it subsequent 12 months.

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