Trump criminal election case paused as Jack Smith weighs fate [Video]

A judge on Friday paused proceedings in the criminal election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump, a move that reflects the expected end of the prosecution.

The pause was requested by special counsel Jack Smith, whose team is prosecuting Trump in federal court in Washington, D.C.

Smith earlier Friday told Judge Tanya Chutkan that vacating the schedule of remaining pretrial deadlines would give his team “time to assess this unprecedented circumstance” of Trump’s electoral victory “and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy.”

“By December 2, 2024, the Government will file a status report or otherwise inform the Court of the result of its deliberations,” Smith wrote in a filing Friday.

Chutkan endorsed that deadline in her order vacating the other deadlines.

Trump’s win against Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this week was considered a death knell for Smith’s prosecutions of him.

On Wednesday, NBC Newsreported that …