Judge Tanya Chutkan put an immediate stay on all proceedings including pretrial processes like discovery until the Supreme Court rules on immunity issues. “Thus, because Defendant has appealed this court’s denial of that immunity, ‘whether the litigation may go forward in the district court is precisely what the court of appeals must decide.’ Consequently, the court agrees with both parties that Defendant’s appeal automatically stays any further proceedings that would move this case towards trial or impose additional burdens of litigation on Defendant. Accordingly, and for clarity, the court hereby STAYS the deadlines and proceedings scheduled by its Pretrial Order, as amended,” Chutkan wrote in her three-page order acknowledging the Supreme Court must decide the issue before proceedings can continue.
Chutkan’s decision to put a pause on all activities involving the DC federal trial around Donald Trump’s effort to undermine the outcome of the 2020 election and reinstall himself to an unearned second term as President now puts pressure on the Supreme Court to hear the motion brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith to adjudicate the issue of “presidential immunity” expeditiously so this trial can proceed.