What appeals or post-conviction proceedings are pending in Trump’s criminal cases?
Executive summary
As of late November 2025 the last active criminal prosecution against Donald Trump — the Fulton County, Georgia racketeering/election‑interference case — was dismissed after a newly appointed state prosecutor moved to drop the charges, ending what had been one of four distinct criminal proceedings against him [1] [2]. Other federal prosecutions were earlier dismissed or put aside after his 2024 election and a New York state conviction resulted in an unconditional discharge at sentencing [3] [4].
1. What cases existed and which remain — a snapshot of the docket
Between 2023 and 2025 Trump faced four major criminal matters: a New York state “hush‑money” case that went to trial and produced a conviction; a federal classified‑documents case; a federal Jan. 6 special‑counsel prosecution; and the Fulton County, Georgia election‑interference indictment. By late November 2025 the Georgia case — long treated as the last unresolved criminal matter — was dismissed following a filing by the new Georgia prosecutor [3] [1] [2].
2. The Georgia case: appeal posture and recent developments
The Georgia prosecution had been on fragile footing after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified by appellate courts because of her relationship with a top special prosecutor, prompting reassignment questions and defense motions [5] [6]. The head of Georgia’s prosecutors’ council appointed himself to take over, then moved to dismiss; Judge Scott McAfee signed an order dismissing the indictment, effectively ending the case that previously charged Trump under the state RICO statute [6] [1].
3. New York conviction and post‑conviction activity
Trump’s New York conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records was the only one to reach a jury verdict; however, post‑trial activity produced an unusual sentencing outcome — an unconditional discharge on Jan. 10, 2025 — and subsequent appeals and motions were filed by defense lawyers thereafter [3] [4]. Sources note that Trump filed appeals in that matter after sentencing and pressed motions seeking relief tied to his election victory, and appellate activity continued into late 2025 [4] [7].
4. Federal prosecutions: dismissals, immunity questions, and unresolved legal fights
Federal prosecutions brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith (including the classified‑documents and Jan. 6‑related charges) were effectively derailed after procedural rulings and policy decisions tied to presidential immunity and appointment questions; the Justice Department dropped appeals in at least one instance after Trump’s election and other federal indictments were dismissed or left inactive while he occupied the presidency [3] [8]. Legal scholars and reporting highlight that longstanding DOJ policy and a Supreme Court immunity ruling complicated the ability of prosecutors to pursue cases against a sitting president [3] [7].
5. What is pending now — what appeals or post‑conviction proceedings remain?
Available sources show the Georgia case was dismissed in late November 2025 and the federal cases were dropped or inactive after the 2024 election; the New York case produced a conviction followed by sentencing to an unconditional discharge and ongoing appellate filings by Trump’s team [1] [2] [3] [4]. Specific pending appeals include post‑conviction appellate filings in the New York matter — Trump filed appeals after his conviction and sentencing — but the exact docket entries and status of every motion are not fully enumerated in the supplied reporting [4] [3]. Available sources do not mention a live criminal appeal in Georgia after the dismissal [1] [2].
6. Competing perspectives and political context
Supporters frame the dismissals as vindication and decry “political persecution,” focusing on procedural defects like the disqualification of Fani Willis; critics warn that dismissals reflect procedural technicalities or prosecutorial error rather than exoneration of alleged misconduct [9] [6]. Reporting also shows legal experts warning that Supreme Court immunity precedent and DOJ policy insulate a sitting president from prosecution, creating structural limits on post‑election accountability [7] [3].
7. Limits of the record and what to watch next
The supplied sources document dismissals, reassignment and appeals through November 2025 but do not provide a full docket‑level list of every pending appellate motion, nor do they describe any new indictments after the Georgia dismissal; for granular current status one must consult court dockets and orders directly — those are not in the present reporting (available sources do not mention full docket entries or subsequent appellate decisions beyond what is summarized) [4] [1]. Key near‑term items to watch in coverage: any formal appellate filings in the New York conviction, whether prosecutors seek to refile state charges elsewhere, and whether legal claims for damages or administrative claims against DOJ proceed [4] [10].
Bottom line: the most consequential pending criminal proceedings cited in these reports are appellate challenges tied to Trump’s New York conviction and a now‑dismissed Georgia indictment; the federal prosecutions are described in these sources as dropped, stalled, or complicated by immunity rulings and prosecutorial decisions [3] [4] [1].