Trump lawyers say former president’s speech does not pose ‘clear and present danger’ in gag order fight before appellate court

Inset left: Special Counsel Jack Smith (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File). Inset right: U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts via AP, File). Background: Former President Donald Trump motions as he returns to the courtroom after a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York (AP Photo/Seth Wenig).

Inset left: Special Counsel Jack Smith (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File). Inset right: U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts via AP, File). Background: Former President Donald Trump motions as he returns to the courtroom after a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York (AP Photo/Seth Wenig).

Special counsel Jack Smith, with a bit of help from a federal judge, on Friday managed to preview the contents of his opening brief on presidential immunity in the Jan. 6 case against Donald Trump.

As Law&Crime previously reported, the massive opening brief — which likely clocks in at around 180 pages inclusive of footnotes — was filed under seal due to the presence of sensitive materials. Along with the full brief, the prosecution also filed a slightly-redacted version.

The redacted version of the brief is intended for public consumption. Some form of the brief will eventually be placed on the public docket. A scheduling order issued by Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday suggested the censored version would likely be made available to the public around mid to late October.

Also on Friday, Chutkan directed her clerk to unseal one of Smith’s filings that offers detailed summaries of what the opening brief contains — and what is blacked out with redaction boxes.

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