Donald Trump's criminal election interference case in Washington has been put on hold, with the former president claiming he is immune from prosecution.
Trump's trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election is currently scheduled to begin on March 4.
But the latest decision by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan makes it likely that it will be postponed, possibly until after the 2024 election.
Trump has claimed he was immune from the legal consequences of the January 6, 2001 riot at the US Capitol because he was president.
That has created a series of problems for the prosecution as the legally untested argument winds through the courts.
It has led to a dispute over the scope of presidential power, which may ultimately be decided for the first time by the US Supreme Court.
The issue is crucial for both sides and any ruling in Trump's favor would derail the case.
Earlier this month, Judge Chutkan rejected Trump's claims that he was shielded from prosecution for actions he took while carrying out his duties as president.
His lawyers then asked a Washington appeals court to review the decision, urging that the case be frozen until a decision was made.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump, tried to stop that by asking the Supreme Court on Monday to quickly rule on the immunity question.
The court indicated it would decide quickly whether to hear the case and ordered Trump's lawyers to respond by December 20.
However, there was no indication of what the final ruling would be, or when it would be reached.
A case before the Supreme Court usually takes several months.
In her three-page order Wednesday, Judge Chutkan, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, flatly rejected Trump's arguments that he was immune from prosecution.
She said the office of president “does not grant a lifetime 'get out of jail' pass.”
However, she ordered a pause on “further proceedings that would take this matter to trial or impose additional legal burdens on the defendant” while the issue of immunity is decided.
She left open the option of keeping the current trial date if the case returns to her court.
That date and other deadlines for attorneys were suspended rather than canceled, she said.
The judge also said her ruling had no effect on the enforcement of a silence order that placed restrictions on Trump's speech outside the court.
Smith's team had asked Judge Chutkan not to interrupt the case.
They argued that the judge could continue to resolve issues unrelated to the appeal while the immunity claim is decided.
Prosecutors said they would “continue to respect whatever pretrial period the court has set for it” so that the case could go to trial quickly if the higher court rejects Trump's immunity argument.
Trump's lawyers have accused prosecutors of trying to speed up the case before next year's presidential election.
“The prosecution has one goal in this case: to unlawfully attempt to try, convict, and convict President Trump before the election in which he is likely to defeat President Biden,” they wrote.
“This represents a blatant attempt to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and disenfranchise the tens of millions of voters who support President Trump's candidacy.”