Former President Donald Trump's two motions to dismiss the federal election interference case against him were denied by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday.
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Judge Chutkan ruled against the first motion, saying that presidents are not completely free from criminal prosecution for actions within their official duties, unless they have been impeached and convicted in the Senate. She emphasized that the Constitution's language, structure, and history do not support the idea of absolute immunity for presidents.
Additionally, Judge Chutkan rejected the second motion, saying that Trump's indictment does not violate the First Amendment.
The judge said that the First Amendment does not protect speech used in the commission of a crime, which is why the indictment against the defendant, who is charged with making statements to further a crime, does not violate their First Amendment rights, according to a spokesperson for Trump.
The spokesperson charged with radical Democrats and President Biden of attempting to establish harmful precedents to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election. They also mentioned that President Trump will challenge these decisions in higher courts. There is no confirmation yet on whether Trump will appeal the judge's rulings, and his attorneys have not commented on the matter.
In October, Trump's legal team filed multiple motions seeking dismissal of the case, citing various constitutional grounds such as the First Amendment, double jeopardy, and due process.
Trump is facing four criminal charges related to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. following his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. He has pleaded not guilty and publicly denounced the allegations.
The former president has continuously argued for the postponement of his legal challenges until after the 2024 election, claiming that earlier trial dates would interfere with the election process.
The case overseen by Chutkan is set to begin in March, while his classified documents case in Florida is scheduled for May.
In Georgia, where Trump has also pleaded not guilty in a large-scale racketeering case, his lawyers argued on Friday that holding his trial before next fall would be the most significant election interference in U.S. history.
