In an attempt to avoid a lawsuit over fraud in the 2020 election, Trump said he would enjoy presidential immunity because he was still in office at the time. After a judge ruled last December that Trump could indeed be prosecuted, three judges on the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., unanimously decided on Tuesday that the former head of state is not immune in this criminal case.
Trump's lawyers have now asked the Supreme Court to suspend this ruling until the court hears the case on appeal or rejects the appeal. Monday was the last day to file such a request, otherwise the decision of three federal judges would take effect.
The Supreme Court's decision on whether to grant a stay will determine whether and when there will be a trial against Trump for trying to influence the outcome of the election after his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.
This trial usually begins on March 4, but presiding judge Tanya Chutkan decided to postpone it for the time being until May 20.
Trump is the most likely candidate to become the Republican Party's nominee in this year's presidential elections. The 77-year-old denies the accusations against him as an attempt by his political opponents to keep him off the ballot.
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