What happens next in Trump’s immunity case?

A federal appeals court in Washington has now heard arguments on former President Donald J. Trump’s sweeping claim that he is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election.

The court has already moved the case along at an exceptionally brisk pace and is expected to make its decision fairly quickly by the standards of a typical appeal.

Here’s a look at what could happen once that decision comes in.

If the appeals court decides in Mr. Trump’s favor, Jack Smith, the special counsel leading the prosecution, will almost certainly challenge the loss in front of the Supreme Court, assuming the justices agreed to hear it.

But the more likely outcome is that the three-judge panel rules against Mr. Trump, rejecting his claims of immunity.