Intermediate victory for Trump – US Supreme Court does not examine Trump’s immunity in advance – News

  • The US Supreme Court – the highest court in the USA – will not deal with the question of immunity of former President Donald Trump for the time being.
  • A corresponding request from special prosecutor Jack Smith was rejected without explanation.
  • This means that the date planned for the beginning of March for the trial against Trump for attempted election fraud will likely take place later.

Smith had asked the Supreme Court to quickly clarify whether Trump could be prosecuted at the federal level for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election – or whether he was protected by his immunity as president.

“A verdict before the elections is increasingly unlikely”


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The short assessment from SRF-USA correspondent Viviane Manz:

“It is an interim victory for Donald Trump and his lawyers’ delaying strategy. The Supreme Court has rejected special counsel Jack Smith’s request to rule on Trump’s immunity early. The court is likely to want to proceed strictly in accordance with due process, especially in this delicate matter, and avoid any appearance of political bias. The question will now first be decided by an appeals court in Washington and is likely to end up back at the Supreme Court in a few weeks.

The consequence of the interim decision: This means that the process around January 6, 2021 is unlikely to start in March as planned, but rather the process could fall into the hot phase of the election campaign for the next presidential election. Above all, it is increasingly unlikely that a verdict will be reached before the elections on November 5, 2024. “This means that voters will probably not know conclusively whether Donald Trump used illegal means around January 6, 2021 to try to stay in power after not being re-elected.”

Trump is indicted in the US capital Washington in connection with attempted election fraud. Trump supporters stormed the parliament building in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Trump had previously incited his supporters during a speech. As a result of the riots, five people died.

Special investigator wanted to bypass appeals court

The 77-year-old is playing for time in the court proceedings. Trump’s lawyers argued that the Republican could not be legally prosecuted for actions that were part of his duties as president. However, the judge responsible had rejected a corresponding application. Trump had appealed this decision – which means it is now up to an appeals court.

Legend:

Donald Trump has won an interim victory before the US Supreme Court.

Keystone/AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez

But special counsel Smith chose an unusual path: He wanted to bypass the appeals court and went directly to the Supreme Court with a request to resolve the issue quickly. “This case concerns issues of exceptional national importance.”

The country’s highest court did not follow this request. This means that the appeal has to make its way through the courts, which can take a long time. However, the current rejection by the Supreme Court does not mean that the case will not ultimately end up back before the nine judges of the US Supreme Court.

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