When Judge Tanya Chutkan resumed the 2020 election interference case against Donald Trump on Friday, many legal experts predicted she would move quickly.
And she certainly did.
On Saturday, Judge Chutkan denied Trump's motion to dismiss the case, which was based solely on his immunity claims, and has scheduled a status conference for August 16th.
A status conference is a court-ordered meeting between a judge and the parties involved in a legal matter to determine the case's status and next steps.
And just before the Democratic National Convention, too.
Judge Chutkan can now issue a scheduling order for how she intends to proceed, including whether or not she'll hold public hearings to determine how to apply the immunity decision in the case.
It's up to her to decide what constitutes as "official acts" regarding Trump's failed attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and the January 6th insurrection that followed.
In her brief, Judge Chutkan states that Trump "may file a renewed motion once all issues of immunity have been resolved," which you can most likely count on happening.
Trump was indicted in August 2023 for conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
Judge Chutkan originally set Trump's trial start date for March 2024, but court proceedings were paused upon appeal. After the August 16th status conference, she can then decide how she wants to move forward.
It's possible that Judge Chutkan could schedule hearings before the November election, which DOJ prosecutor Jack Smith won't be able to do with his own January 6th trial. Those hearings would cover the same ground.
We'll know more after August 16th, but for now, let's enjoy watching Trump squirm about yet another legal problem weighing him down.