President Donald Trump has just secured a major victory in his legal battles after the United States Supreme Court just backed his claim of presidential immunity.
The Supreme Court agreed that Trump is entitled to immunity from prosecution for “official acts” while president.
Justices sided with Trump’s claim of immunity in a 6-3 decision on his case.
They agreed that former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts.
The case has now been sent back to a lower court by the SCOTUS.
The decision deals a death blow to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 case against the 45th president.
🚨🚨BREAKING: The Supreme Court has sided with President Trump, ruling that presidents cannot be held criminally liable for official actions of government and delivering a nuke to Jack Smith’s January 6 indictment.
6-3 decision pic.twitter.com/0njYEu0Tkr
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 1, 2024
The case is related to the protests at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
At the time, Trump was still serving as president.
His legal team argues he was immune from prosecution as he was serving as president during the period in question.
🚨BREAKING: Supreme Court rules 6-3 on presidential immunity case determining immunity for presidents on all official acts pic.twitter.com/oSPDuY4UIg
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 1, 2024
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges in August last year, has opposed presidential immunity from prosecution based on the principle.
Smith insists that no one is above the law, despite the constitutional issues and the implications for all former presidents.
A trial had initially been scheduled to start on 4 March.
However, the case has been delayed over the immunity issue.
The case will not likely go to trial before the November election as Democrats had hoped.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion:
“We conclude that under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power requires that a former President have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his tenure in office.
“At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute.
“As for his remaining official actions, he is also entitled to immunity.
“At the current stage of proceedings in this case, however, we need not and do not decide whether that immunity must be absolute, or instead whether a presumptive immunity is sufficient …
“The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official.
“The President is not above the law.
“But Congress may not criminalize the President’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution.
“And the system of separated powers designed by the Framers has always demanded an energetic, independent Executive.
“The President therefore may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled, at a minimum, to a presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts.
“That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party.”
