Special counsel Jack Smith asks the Supreme Court to rule quickly on whether Trump can be prosecuted
Associated PressWASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday asked the Supreme Court to take up and rule quickly on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results. Underscoring the urgency for prosecutors in securing a quick resolution that can push the case forward, Smith and his team wrote: “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected.” At issue is a Dec. 1 ruling from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that rejected arguments by Trump’s lawyers that he was immune from federal prosecution. “The Court should grant certiorari and set a briefing schedule that would permit this case to be argued and resolved as promptly as possible.” Prosecutors are also asking the court to take up Trump’s claim, also already rejected by Chutkan, that he cannot be prosecuted in court for conduct for which he was already impeached — and acquitted — before Congress. The special counsel’s filings also show that Michael Dreeben, a former Justice Department lawyer who for years argued criminal cases at the Supreme Court, has joined Smith’s team.