U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled to dismiss the 2021 election meddling and Capitol storming case filed against President-elect Donald Trump at the request of special counsel Jack Smith.
Points of attention
- The court dismissed the voter interference and Capitol storming case brought against Donald Trump.
- The decision is based on the US Department of Justice's policy of not prosecuting a sitting president.
- Special Counsel Jack Smith closed criminal proceedings against Trump citing the policy.
- The case may be reopened after Trump's presidential term ends.
- The storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 resulted in the death of five people, and more than 1,200 participants were charged.
The court closed the case against Trump after his election victory
As noted, the decision is based on the policy of the US Department of Justice, which prohibits the prosecution of a sitting president.
The case was dismissed without prejudice, but there remains the possibility that the charges could be re-filed after Trump's term as president ends.
The decision means the prosecution of four criminal charges related to his attempts to overturn the results of the election after losing to Joe Biden, as well as his involvement in the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Earlier in the day, special counsel Jack Smith announced that both criminal proceedings against Trump had been dropped, citing the same Justice Department policy.
In addition, Smith asked the court to withdraw his appeal in the case of Trump's mishandling of classified documents in Florida.
This motion is currently pending before the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and is expected to be granted in the near future.
The case of the storming of the Capitol: what is known
On January 6, 2021, after Trump's calls to restore justice and return the "stolen election", the crowd stormed the US Congress building.
During these events, five people died, hundreds were injured.
After that, law enforcement agencies brought official charges against more than 1,200 participants of the assault. A special committee was formed in the House of Representatives to investigate these events.
