Judge Hands Down HUGE Ruling Right Before Trump Takes Office
Two federal judges have decided to delay criminal trials for several individuals accused of trespassing at the U.S. Capitol, citing the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term as a significant factor.
Judges Carl Nichols and Rudolph Contreras, appointed by Trump and Obama, respectively, ruled that proceedings for these cases would not commence until after Trump’s inauguration. Their reasoning centers on the possibility that Trump, once in office, could pardon the defendants or choose not to pursue the charges further as head of the Department of Justice.
This marks the first time federal judges have formally accepted requests from January 6 defendants to postpone their cases in anticipation of potential Trump pardons, according to Fox News.
Judge Contreras emphasized the importance of conserving resources, stating, “There is a real possibility of a Trump pardon, so it would be wasteful to spend taxpayer money and convene a jury at this time.” He rescheduled defendant William Pope’s trial for late February.
Pope, previously facing felony obstruction charges, saw those dropped following a Supreme Court decision in June. He now faces lesser charges, with his trial initially set for December.
Judge Nichols also postponed trials for three other defendants facing misdemeanor trespassing charges. He questioned federal prosecutors on whether the trials would proceed under the new administration. When prosecutors could not provide assurances, Nichols moved the trials to April.
Attorney Marina Medvin, representing two of the defendants in Nichols’ court, noted, “Judge Nichols directly asked the prosecutor if this case would move forward under the new administration. The prosecutor could not guarantee it, so the judge decided to delay.”
This legal development places Special Counsel Jack Smith in a precarious position, especially following Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to President-elect Trump.
On Friday, Smith requested federal District Judge Tanya Chutkan to remove all current deadlines related to his case against Trump, citing the unique circumstances created by the election outcome.
“The Government respectfully requests that the Court vacate the remaining deadlines in the pretrial schedule to allow time to evaluate this unprecedented situation and determine the appropriate course of action in line with Department of Justice policy,” prosecutors wrote. A status report is expected by December 2, 2024.
Meanwhile, Smith is facing mounting scrutiny. Republican Representative Barry Loudermilk, leading the inquiry into the January 6 Committee, and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan have called on Smith to preserve his records.
Additionally, Republican Representative Wesley Hunt warned on conservative podcaster Benny Johnson’s show that Smith could face legal consequences if he fails to comply with congressional demands.
“Jack Smith is first on the list. If he refuses to appear before Congress, he will face jail time. They jailed Steve Bannon—those are the rules,” Hunt stated.