The US Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it would hear the case involving Donald Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from prosecution in the criminal investigation into his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. The decision to take up the case raises the possibility of delaying the trial until after the 2024 election.
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US Supreme Court
The court has scheduled oral arguments for the week of April 22 to review a recent ruling by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC circuit, which strongly rejected Trump’s immunity claim earlier this month. The criminal case against the former president will remain on hold until the Supreme Court reaches a final judgment on the issue, potentially influencing whether Trump will face trial before the November presidential election.
The court’s order, lacking any signatures, outlined its intent to address during oral arguments “whether and if so, to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.”
In the federal 2020 election case, Trump faces four criminal charges in Washington DC, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct the congressional certification of the election results, and rights violations. Trump sought to dismiss the charges last year, arguing that the actions he was accused of were within the “outer perimeter” of his official duties, entitling him to presidential immunity.
The core of Trump’s legal argument was the unprecedented claim that he was entitled to absolute presidential immunity, regardless of his intention in the alleged actions. This argument was rejected by the US district judge overseeing the case, Tanya Chutkan, and subsequently by the three-judge panel of the DC circuit.
The court’s opinion stated, “Former President Trump’s position would destroy our system of separated powers by putting the President out of the reach of all three Branches. We cannot agree that the office of the Presidency places its former holders above the law forever after.”
Trump’s legal team pursued the immunity claim through an interlocutory appeal, allowing the argument to be presented before the trial. With approximately 87 days left from the original trial date of March 4, calculated by the difference between March 4 and December 8, Trump’s legal proceedings remain a focal point of ongoing legal battles and potential political ramifications.
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