Trump's Bid to Postpone E Jean Carroll Civil Trial Raises Supreme Court Consideration

Former President Donald Trump is seeking a postponement of his defamation trial against E. Jean Carroll in order to explore other legal options, including the possibility of appealing to the US Supreme Court. The federal appeals court has denied Trump's claim of presidential immunity as a defense to the defamation charges, stating that he had forfeited his right to assert it by raising the claim too late in the litigation process.

The court sent the case back to the trial judge to move ahead to trial, which is set for January 16.

Special counsel Jack Smith speaks about the indictment brought against former president Donald Trump on Tuesday.

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Special counsel emphasizes the seriousness of the Trump case and urges the Supreme Court to promptly address the immunity dispute. Trump's legal team filed a motion on Thursday requesting the appeals court to pause the trial in order to review their options for appeal, such as requesting a full panel of appeals court judges to hear their arguments or taking the case to the Supreme Court.

Trump's lawyers have requested a necessary and appropriate stay to allow for a full litigation of his entitlement to present an immunity defense in the ongoing proceedings. This includes the pursuit of an appeal in the Supreme Court, if necessary. They are also seeking a 90-day stay to consider appellate options, as well as a stay of the trial until the appeal process is completed.

Trump's attorneys emphasized the importance of the issues by pointing to Special Counsel Jack Smith's recent filings with the Supreme Court regarding President Trump's presidential immunity appeal from a criminal case in the District of Columbia. They also noted that the case is on hold while awaiting the appeal's resolution, and the potential for the Supreme Court to address President Trump's immunity further reinforces the need for stays.