The United States Supreme Court agreed to consider the issue on Wednesday Former President Donald Trump invoked criminal immunity at the end of April, a few months before the presidential elections in November.
On February 6, a federal appeals court struck down that immunity. This clears the way for Trump to be brought to trial again in Washington over his alleged attempt to change the results of the 2020 election.
The appeals court put the ruling on hold to give Trump a chance to appeal to the Supreme Court, prompting Judge Tanya Chutkan to announce the postponement of the trial, originally scheduled for March 4.
The Supreme Court said it would consider the issue “Whether a former president enjoys presidential immunity from criminal proceedings.” for conduct alleged to have been official acts during his term in office, and if so, to what extent.
Special prosecutor Jack Smith, who is investigating the case, recommended that the Supreme Court not accept the case for trial, but if it does, it should set an expedited timetable.
In its decision Wednesday, the Supreme Court partially satisfied Donald Trump by not allowing the appeal decision to take effect until it was decided.
But programmingor the debates on the “Week of April 22nd” Instead, he agreed to the special prosecutor’s request to bring the deadline forward.
In his arguments, Jack Smith underscored the “unique national significance of this criminal case,” in which a former president “is being prosecuted for attempting to remain in power by preventing the legitimate winner of the election from taking office.”
Trump’s lawyers claim “absolute immunity.”
For purposes of this criminal case, former President Trump has become a Trump citizen and enjoys the same protections as any other defendant. “But any executive immunity that might have protected him as sitting president no longer protects him,” the three appeals judges wrote in their ruling, upholding a first-instance ruling issued by Judge Chutkan in December.
If he wins the November election, Trump could order the federal case against him to be dropped after he takes office in January 2025.
Donald Trump has requested criminal immunity in various cases against him “difficult” decisions he made as President of the United States. So far, every application has been rejected outright.
With information from AFP.
ORP