Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the Supreme Court of the United States' rejection of a request on Friday by Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith to speed up a trial of former President Donald Trump was a "big win."
Marshall and 18 other state attorneys general filed a brief last week with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case United States v. Trump, opposing the Biden administration's request to speed up Trump's trial start date to March.
"The U.S. Supreme Court has denied the special counsel's request to fast-track the political prosecution of Pres. Trump. Alabama's brief, joined by 18 other states, urged them to do just that. Big win!" Marshall said on Friday.
Last week, federal prosecutors, led by Smith, asked the high court to expedite review so that the prosecution could try to take Trump to trial "as promptly as possible" without going through the normal appellate process. The indictment charges Trump with allegedly conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding.
The 19-state coalition argued that Smith's request was due to be denied, given the prosecution's failure to give a legitimate reason for the Court to depart from its standard procedure.
"In November of last year, Joe Biden vowed that Donald Trump would never become president again. Then, in August 2023, more than 30 months after the events alleged in the indictment, the federal government indicted Trump and now seeks to rush him to trial in March 2024. But the former President is entitled to appeal the trial court's order denying him presidential immunity. Thus, worried about losing his trial date, the special counsel is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to jump into the fray. But he gives no reason why the public interest demands a rushed trial, which suggests the real reason is to swing the presidential election," Marshall said last week. "The Court should not play along. As our brief points out, in asking for this extraordinary remedy, without giving any reason for why it is warranted, the special counsel's petition itself is strong evidence of a political prosecution designed to decide the 2024 election."
The coalition's brief argued that the federal government's petition fails to clear the Supreme Court's high bar for immediate review because the petition provides no explanation for the prosecution's urgency.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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