WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide whether former President Donald Trump can claim presidential immunity on criminal charges of election interference, adding a new hurdle to his ongoing trial.
In a brief order, the court said it would hear arguments and rule on the immunity claim. In the meantime, the case is on hold, meaning there will be no trial.
The court will hear the case, which could take months to resolve, the week of April 22, according to the order. This schedule would allow a decision to be handed down by the end of the court's regular term in June, which is faster than the court normally hears the case. Arguments were made, but not as quickly as prosecutors had hoped.
The legal question for the court to determine is: “Whether, and if so, to what extent, does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for acts he allegedly engaged in while in office?'' Can he enjoy the exemption?'', the order states.
Even if Mr. Trump loses, a trial may not take place until well into election season, raising questions about whether the case will even occur before Election Day in November. If Trump wins his appeal in court, his charges will be dismissed.
In a post on Truth Social after Wednesday's Supreme Court announcement, President Trump said that without immunity, “the President cannot properly function or make decisions in the best interests of the United States.” repeated the claim.
“Presidents are constantly concerned about the possibility of unfair prosecution and retribution after leaving office, and may even become paralyzed,” he added.
A three-judge panel of the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Trump on February 6, but gave the Supreme Court time to file an emergency request to block the ruling from taking effect. Ta.
“For the purposes of this criminal proceeding, former President Trump assumed all defense of other criminal defendants and became a Trump citizen,” the appeals court's ruling said.
The court did not directly determine whether Trump acted in an official manner when he challenged the election results.
Trump's lawyers cited a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the president's immunity from civil lawsuits when the underlying conduct concerns actions within the “outskirts” of the president's official responsibilities. It pointed out.
They argue that the president should be afforded full immunity for acts of office and that his actions in questioning the election results were part of his official duties.
Lawyers acknowledged that the former president could be prosecuted for acts unrelated to his official duties.
In a separate case related to a civil lawsuit over Trump's role on January 6, a different panel of judges on the same appeals court rejected his request for immunity, ruling that the former president was acting in the line of duty and could not be considered an official act. It was ruled that he was not involved. As an officer candidate. Trump did not choose to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, based in Washington, had originally scheduled a trial for March. This is one of four criminal cases Trump is fighting.
If Trump wins the election, he will be in a position to order the charges in the Washington incident to be dropped. If he has already been convicted at that time, he may seek his own pardon.
If Trump's charges are approved, “such charges will recur and become increasingly common, starting a cycle of destructive accusations,” Trump's lawyers said in a Supreme Court filing. Ta.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting the case, said in his court papers that it is imperative that this matter be resolved quickly.
“Delays in resolving these charges could undermine the public's interest in speedy and fair adjudication, a compelling interest in all criminal cases and the unique national importance of this country,” he wrote. .
The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, with three appointed by Trump. Despite the ideological make-up of the court, Trump has lost several cases recently.
The judges held a hearing on February 8th. The former president's attempt to avoid voting exclusion in Colorado was argued in a separate Trump-related lawsuit. In that case, it seems likely that the court will rule in his favor.
President Trump's claim of immunity stems from his indictment in Washington on four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. He pleaded not guilty.
In December, Mr. Chutkan rejected Mr. Trump's bid to dismiss the charges, citing executive privilege and other constitutional grounds.
