With the election interference charges against President-elect Donald Trump dropped and special counsel Jack Smith moving to have the classified documents case against him dismissed as well, the prosecutions of the former president are coming to an anticlimactic end. They have, however, left a lasting impact on the American legal landscape.

Smith on Monday moved to have both federal cases against Trump dismissed without prejudice — a signal that Smith still believes in the arguments put forth in the case. Judge Tanya Chtuckan, overseeing the election interference case in Washington D.C. quickly agreed to Smith’s request. Smith previously appealed Judge Aileen Cannon's dismissal of the classified documents case but has since asked the court to drop the matter.

Smith’s decision was based on the Justice Department policy dating back to the Nixon administration, which states that the department cannot charge a sitting president with a crime, meaning that the federal cases against Trump have been expected to end since he won the 2024 election. Smith’s choice to file for dismissal without prejudice means prosecutors working for a future administration could theoretically reopen the case against........

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