A federal judge in Washington has officially postponed the March trial of former U.S. Donald Trump for plotting to overturn 2020** charges as one of his key legal appeals is still pending in court.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan canceled the March 4 trial date, as proposed by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith, but did not set a new trial date.
The move creates an opportunity for another case in New York (accused of Trump being linked to hush money payments to a actress) to go to trial first.
Trump appealed, saying he was not prosecuted for actions taken at the White House. At this time, a federal appeals court has not resolved Trump's pending appeal.
It's unclear when the three-judge panel will make its ruling, but the Trump team is expected to appeal the ruling in favor of prosecutors, allowing the case to continue, which could lead to more delays.
Timing is of the essence for both parties.
Trump, who faces four charges and 91 felony charges, is seeking to postpone his criminal case as he leads the race for the 2024 Republican nomination.
Meanwhile, Smith's team hopes to be able to indict Trump by November of this year.
Washington's case was expected to go to trial first, but it was postponed for weeks because Trump appealed on waiver grounds.
The Court of Appeal heard the parties on 9 January and, although it had expressed its intention to act expeditiously, had not yet rendered a ruling.