The Court intends to hear the opinion of third-party lawyers and independent expert organizations.
The Federal District Court for the District of Columbia adjourned its decision on a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to dismiss the criminal case against Michael Flynn, who was Assistant President Donald Trump’s National Security Assistant until February 2017. The order, issued on Tuesday, notes that the judge intends to first hear the views of outside lawyers and independent expert organizations.
“Given the current state of the case, the court expects individuals and organisations to request permission from the court to file amicus curiae memoranda”, – said Judge Emmet Sullivan in a ruling. The so-called friends of the court in the U.S. legal system are external interested persons and groups that are not parties to the case, which can file an opinion on the court proceedings.
As noted by experts interviewed by The New York Times, in fact, this step in the Flynn case means that the judge can consider not only the position of the U.S. Department of Justice, which decided to terminate the case of ex-assistant Trump, but also opponents of this decision, who criticized him as politically motivated.