Maine judge punts on Trump 14th Amendment case until Supreme Court rules on Colorado appeal

A Maine judge on Wednesday opted to defer her decision on former President Donald Trump's removal from the state ballot until the Supreme Court rendered its own decision on Trump's eligibility.

The Colorado Supreme Court previously determined that Trump was ineligible to seek the presidency under the 14th Amendment due to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which they determined to run afoul of the Amendment's "insurrection" provision. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows subsequently issued her own opinion to the same effect, but stayed her own order to allow for Trump's legal challenge.

Trump has since asked the Maine court to overturn her decision, resulting in Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy on Wednesday deferring a decision.

"Put simply, the United States Supreme Court’s acceptance of the Colorado case changes everything about the order in which these issues should be decided, and by which court," she wrote, The Hill reported.

The Supreme Court earlier this month agreed to hear Trump's appeal of the Colorado Supreme Court decision and scheduled oral arguments for Feb. 8. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has since confirmed that Trump will appear on the Republican primary ballot.

"Colorado’s 2024 Presidential primary ballot is certified. The United States Supreme Court has accepted the case, and Donald Trump will appear on the ballot as a result," she announced.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.