In a significant development, the election interference case against former President Donald Trump has returned to federal judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington. However, the road ahead is complicated, and it falls to Judge Chutkan to decide the next steps and the timeline. One crucial factor in this case is the conservative supermajority on the U.S. Supreme Court, who have presented Judge Chutkan with an extensive workload.

Last month, a decisive six-justice majority ruled in favor of Trump, asserting that he deserves substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts conducted during his tenure in the White House. These acts include efforts to coerce Department of Justice leaders into supporting his baseless claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. Legal experts now believe that Judge Chutkan must carefully scrutinize the evidence at the core of this historic case. Her task is to determine whether Trump's alleged actions are protected under the Constitution as official acts carried out by a sitting president or if they should be considered personal acts undertaken by a candidate vying for political office.

Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, vehemently denounces the four criminal cases against him as election interference. President Joe Biden has categorically stated that he played no part in initiating these prosecutions, a sentiment reaffirmed by Attorney General Merrick Garland during his congressional testimony. However, due to the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, it is highly unlikely that Trump will face trial in Washington before the upcoming November elections.

The Supreme Court's ruling indicates that Trump, or special counsel Jack Smith, could potentially appeal any determinations made by the lower court regarding what qualifies as an official act. Remarkably, these appeals could occur even before a jury is impaneled in the case. If Trump emerges victorious in the ballot box later this year, he could exercise his authority to dismiss the D.C. case or even attempt to pardon himself.

Judge Chutkan now faces the arduous task of reviewing the evidence, navigating legal complexities, and ultimately making critical decisions in this high-profile case. As the process unfolds, legal experts and observers await her rulings, which could have far-reaching implications for the ongoing debate over the limits of presidential powers and accountability.

It remains to be seen how quickly the case progresses and whether Judge Chutkan's decisions will be subject to further challenges. In the meantime, the legal battle surrounding the election interference case against former President Trump continues to captivate national attention.