Former US president and Republican candidate for the White House, Donald Trumppleaded not guilty on Thursday to the charges brought against him in the new indictment for the January 2021 assault on the Capitol and his attempts to reverse the results of previous presidential elections.
The tycoon made this statement through his lawyers, after having announced on Tuesday that he was exercising his right not to be present at the reading of the charges in the District Court of Columbia, in Washington DC.
Trump faces four charges for Capitol assault
The special prosecutor in charge of the investigation Trump in the case of the assault on the Capitol, Jack Smithfiled a new indictment on August 27, maintaining the four previous charges against him, including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, but toning down the allegations to conform to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the immunity of his acts as president.
On July 1, the highest court granted Trump partial immunity. It concluded that “a former president is entitled to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his constitutional authority,” but established that “there is no immunity for unofficial acts.”
Thursday’s hearing was the first to bring together the prosecution and defense following that ruling.
On January 6, 2021, about 10,000 people – most of them supporters of Trump– marched to the seat of Congress and about 800 stormed the Capitol while the Democrat’s victory was being certified Joe Biden in those elections. There were five deaths and nearly 140 officers injured.
Judge avoids setting a date for Trump’s trial in Washington
The judge in charge of the trial against the former US president Donald Trump in Washington D.C. in the case of the assault on the Capitol, Ask Chutkanruled out setting a date for that process on Thursday while the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling on his immunity continue to be evaluated.
According to statements collected by the network CNNthe question of immunity will slow down the proceedings and trying to set a date for the start of the trial “is an exercise in futility.”
“We all know that whatever my decision on immunity is, it will be appealed,” he said. EFE
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