2024-03-19 22:06:27
Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to protect him from charges related to his actions during the January 6 riot.
Donald Trump appeals to the Supreme Court to gain immunity from charges related to his 2020 post-election actions, reports Bloomberg. His lawyers say that as president he was acting within the scope of his official duties, which makes him would protect against any indictment. A 52-page filing supports that position, arguing that lawsuits should be avoided until the November election.
“The absence of criminal immunity would render every future president powerless in the face of de facto blackmail and extortion during his mandate and would sentence him to years of trauma post-term in the hands of political opponents,” believes Trump’s legal team.
According to a recent Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll, more than half of voters in seven swing states said they would not vote for Trump if he were convicted of a crime.
A question of timing
The pleadings set for April 25 underline the importance of the timing and the substance of the conflict. Special counsel Jack Smith is seeking a quick victory so he can take Trump to court this year in Washington. The Supreme Court, with three members appointed by Trump, suspended the prosecution last month pending its decision.
Trump tries to postpone any trial until after the elections, as the presidential campaign intensifies. If he became president again before the matter was resolved, he could order the Justice Department to drop the casewhich represents one of four criminal charges he currently faces.
Beyond the legal consequences of the accusations, a conviction would also harm Donald Trump’s electoral race. According to a recent Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll, more than half of voters in seven swing states saidthey wouldn’t vote for him if he was found guilty of a crime
The Supreme Court has not yet clarified whether a former president is protected from criminal charges for his actions while in office.
Legal uncertainty at the Supreme Court
A federal appeals court previously said Trump could be prosecuted for trying to stay in power illegally. The panel said Trump’s immunity claim would give him “unlimited authority to commit crimes which would neutralize the most fundamental control of executive power – the recognition and implementation of electoral results.”
For its part, the Supreme Court did not not yet clarified whether a former president is protected from criminal charges for his actions while in office. In 1982, the Court ruled that presidents are fully protected from civil suits for actions they took in the course of their official duties, but it did not clarify whether this protection also extends to criminal cases .
She could also decide that criminal immunity exists, but not decide how it applies to the Trump indictment. In any case, she announced last month that she would examine the case“whether and to what extent” former presidents are entitled to criminal immunity.
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