The Supreme Court’s decision to take up former U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid for immunity from criminal prosecution raises the prospect that a trial to hold him accountable for trying to overturn the 2020 election could face a lengthy delay — potentially until after the November election.
The justices on Wednesday said they will hear arguments in late April, putting the case on a slower track than Special Counsel Jack Smith had sought. With a ruling likely by the end of June, a trial this year remains a possibility, but with little margin for further setbacks.
"This could delay his trial, perhaps significantly,” said Ilya Somin, a professor of law at George Mason University. "It makes it less likely the trial will be done before the election.”