As ordered by the court, former President Donald Trump and his lawyers have filed their opening brief with a D.C. appeals court, asking the court to toss the DOJ’s case accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election on grounds of presidential immunity.
The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit previously agreed to expedite the hotly contested case, giving appellants until Dec. 23 to file their opening arguments for the appeal.
The filing comes after the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 22 decided not to fast-track the DOJ’s case against the former president as DOJ special counsel Jack Smith sought to adhere to a March 4 trial deadline. The defense objected to any need to fast-track due process in the appeals court, arguing that the special counsel request was only necessary for timing his rival President Joe Biden’s political messaging against President Trump ahead of the Super Tuesday primary elections….