Courts Drop Trump Cases Amid DOJ Policy Dispute

A U.S. appeals court dismissed the case against Donald Trump over classified documents. This follows a federal judge's dismissal of related election misconduct charges. Prosecutors cited Justice Department rules against prosecuting a sitting president. Trump maintains his innocence, and his associates also plead not guilty.

The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday dismissed an attempt to revive the criminal case against Donald Trump, accused of illegally retaining classified documents. Prosecutors decided not to pursue the appeal, leading to the dismissal as Trump readies for his Jan. 20 return to the White House.

The action follows a unilateral decision by a federal judge to dismiss another case implicating Trump in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Special Counsel Jack Smith emphasized a longstanding Justice Department policy forbidding the prosecution of a sitting president as the rationale for dropping the cases.

In a separate ruling, a Florida judge previously removed Smith, claiming his appointment as special counsel was improper. While Trump denies any wrongdoing, prosecutors indicated their intent to appeal against this ruling concerning two associates of Trump also charged in the case. Both aides, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, alongside Trump, have pleaded not guilty to these accusations.

(With inputs from agencies.)