Donald Trump Is Immune From Prosecution For Official Acts

The US Supreme Court denied the prosecution of former President Donald Trump, holding that although past presidents are shielded from prosecution for their official actions, they are not shielded from prosecution for their unofficial activities.

The question of what constitutes an official or unofficial act remains unanswered despite Monday’s landmark 6-3 verdict. In order to determine how exactly to apply the ruling to Trump’s case, the court instead returns the matter to the lower courts.

John Roberts, the Chief Justice, states in his majority opinion that “Trump asserts a far broader immunity than the limited one we have recognised.”

Alongside Roberts were the other five conservative judges. Three justices who lean liberally disagreed.

“Today’s decision to grant former presidents criminal immunity reshapes the institution of the presidency. It makes a mockery of the principle, foundational to our Constitution and system of government, that no man is above the law,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a scathing dissent.

Presidents are protected by the court, according to Sotomayor, who stated that the protection “is just as bad as it sounds, and it is baseless” during her courtroom reading of a summary of her dissent.

The decision effectively ends the possibility that Trump will be tried before the November election by adding more time to the trial date in the lawsuit filed by special counsel Jack Smith.

Trump will face prosecution in Washington after the 2024 election if his trial does not happen before then and he is not granted an additional four years in office.

If he wins, he might select an attorney general to seek the dismissal of this case and the second federal prosecution he is facing. He could potentially try to pardon himself if he retakes the White House.

The case derives from Trump’s efforts to have the allegations against him dismissed. Lower courts have ruled that he cannot claim immunity for conduct that prosecutors allege illegally attempted to tamper with election results.

Trump has been charged in federal court in Washington with conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, one of three criminal prosecutions he is now facing.

Prosecutors claimed that Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records earlier this month stemmed from an effort to conceal the payment of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli