WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal appeals panel in Washington D.C. ruled that former President Donald Trump is not immune from facing charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 election on January 6, 2024 .
Trump is currently facing four prosecutions in the lead up to the 2024 presidential election. Two of the federal charges are related to his actions during the previous election.
Trump’s legal team claimed that his actions on Jan. 6, 2021 are protected from prosecution because he was carrying out his official duties as president. This is the second ruling that has determined Trump’s lack of immunity.
“We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter,” the panel wrote in a statement.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said that appeals from Trump’s legal team are expected, which could involve the Supreme Court and further delay the trial for weeks.
The trial could be delayed till after the 2024 election in November. The presidential election decision has the potential to change how Trump’s prosecution evolves.
The trial was originally scheduled March of this year, but it has been pushed to a later time. Jack Smith, who’s charging Trump, and his team of prosecutors are hoping to resolve the trial by the end of year.