Former President Donald Trump's lawyers urged the US Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject special counsel Jack Smith's request to quickly rule on whether presidential immunity would protect the 2024 candidate from prosecution in the federal 2020 election interference case. The case is scheduled to take place the middle of the 2024 presidential primary season on March 4th and one day before Super Tuesday.

Trump, the leading contender in the Republican presidential primary is accused of conspiracy to impede an official proceeding, obstructing and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiring against rights in a case that constitutes one of the four criminal indictments lodged against him. He pleaded not guilty in all instances and asserted that he possesses absolute immunity from criminal prosecution concerning actions connected to his presidential duties.

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Moreover, the Supreme Court agreed to expedite consideration of Smith's request to consider whether Trump is immune. Smith has argued that it "is of imperative public importance" for the high court to rule on Trump's claims of immunity and that his "trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected."

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In response, Trump's legal team said in a filing on Wednesday that "in an omission that speaks volumes, the Special Counsel never explains why March 4, 2024, is supposedly the only 'appropriate timetable' for this historic prosecution," adding "that date has no talismanic significance." They argued that the case should be "resolved in a cautious, deliberative manner — not at breakneck speed" and urged the justices not to "rush to decide the issues with reckless abandon."

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Colorado court rules Trump disqualified from 2024 primary ballot

This comes after an appeals court in Colorado on Tuesday ruled that Donald Trump cannot appear on the state's presidential primary ballot because of his involvement in the attack on the Capitol in January 2021.

The ruling, which only applies to the Colorado primary ballot, is the first of several legal actions across the country aimed at invoking the US Constitution's 14th Amendment, which bars from office anyone formerly sworn to protect the country who later engages in insurrection.

The Supreme Court of the State of Colorado wrote, "a majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution."

"Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado Secretary of State to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot."