Trump Appeals DOJ's Election Plot Case, Citing Presidential Immunity

Welcome to Visual News. In a significant legal development, former President Donald Trump and his legal team have submitted their opening brief to a District of Columbia appeals court, urging the dismissal of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) case accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The case revolves around the grounds of presidential immunity.

The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is set to examine Trump's appeal after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to fast-track the DOJ's case against the former president. The DOJ's special counsel, Jack Smith, had sought an expedited trial, but the defense argued against the need for such haste.

President Trump's defense contends that the unbroken tradition of not criminally prosecuting a president for official acts implies that the power to do so does not exist. Trump's attorney, D. John Sauer, highlighted the need to prevent false accusations from political enemies, which could undermine the democratic electoral process.

The case, assigned to Judges Karen L. Henderson, Florence Y. Pan, and J. Michelle Childs, challenges the assertion that a former president can face criminal prosecution for official acts committed in office. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan had ruled in December that such prosecution is admissible.