Former President Donald Trump may have gotten a very big break from the federal judge overseeing his Jan. 6 ‘election interference’ trial.

On Wednesday, Judge Tanya Chutkan issued an order pausing the case for the time being while various appeals seeking clarification over whether Trump was protected by presidential immunity play out.

Her ruling said, in part, that it “automatically stays any further proceedings that would move this case towards trial or impose additional burdens of litigation on Defendant.”

The ruling came as the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear a case that could have profoundly positive implications for former President Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion with the high court seeking a ruling on whether Trump could be prosecuted for actions on the day of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.

According to Politico, “The case, arising from the prosecution of a Jan. 6 defendant accused of pushing against police and inflaming a mob attempting to breach the Capitol, calls into question prosecutors’ handling of an Enron-era obstruction law to punish those who stormed Congress.”

The charge is “obstruction of an official proceeding,” and it is one of the felony counts that Trump himself faces in his so-called ‘election interference’ case filed by Smith. That charge alone carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

A ruling favorable to Trump would not only throw the hundreds of remaining Jan. 6 cases into jeopardy but could also serve to end Smith’s Jan. 6 case against Trump. Smith’s Monday motion asked justices to determine whether Trump has immunity from being prosecuted.

The Hill added: “Trump last week appealed an order from Chutkan that rejected his motion to dismiss the Jan. 6 case, likewise asking that she halt activity in the case while his appeal proceeds. The move comes as Trump has argued the courts should dismiss the case both on the concept of presidential immunity, as well as on constitutional grounds, including the First Amendment.”

“If jurisdiction is returned to this court, it will—consistent with its duty to ensure both a speedy trial and fairness for all parties—consider at that time whether to retain or continue the dates of any still-future deadlines and proceedings, including the trial scheduled for March 4, 2024,” wrote Chutkan in her order.

Trump’s appeal has the potential to disrupt the scheduled trial date of March 4, coinciding with the day before the Super Tuesday primaries. Prosecutors argue that Trump is employing various tactics to disrupt the trial date, aiming to postpone it beyond the November 2024 election, which is within his legal rights to pursue.

…It is still possible that the trial in March could occur depending on how the Supreme Court acts on the request for an expedited review by Smith.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) December 13, 2023