Ruling of the Supreme Court - Biden calls Trump's partial immunity a "dangerous precedent"
US-President Joe Biden sharply criticized the decision of the US Supreme Court to grant former President Donald Trump partial immunity. Biden spoke at the White House on Monday (local time) about a "dangerous precedent." Four months before the presidential election, the Supreme Court had previously ruled that a president enjoys a fundamental protection against later prosecution for official actions, but not for unofficial ones. According to media reports, Trump is already trying to vacate his conviction in the hush money case.
Practically speaking, this decision would most likely mean "that there are no limits to what a president can do," Biden said in a speech at the White House. "That's a fundamental new principle and it's a dangerous precedent." The powers of the president would no longer be limited by law.
Majority-conservative Supreme Court rules in favor of US-President Trump's partial immunity
The conservative-majority Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower federal court on Monday. Specifically, it concerns a lawsuit filed against Trump over an attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden. The lower court must now determine whether the indictment refers to "official" or "unofficial" actions.
The immunity decision was made with the votes of its six conservative justices against the three liberal justices. Trump himself ensured the clear conservative majority on the powerful court during his tenure by appointing three ideologically conservative justices to the Supreme Court.
In the case pending before the Washington federal court against Trump, it goes among other things to his role in the Capitol riot in Washington, D.C. in January 2021. Special prosecutor Jack White, who obtained the indictment against the US President, had already expressed the view before the Supreme Court ruling that at least part of the indictment concerned "private" and not official actions.
Trump calls decision "great victory for the Constitution and democracy"
Trump evaluated the Supreme Court decision on his online network Truth Social as "great victory for the Constitution and democracy." It gives him an important additional time advantage: It means that the process before a federal court in Washington regarding his attempts at election manipulation will not begin before the election on November 5.
Trump plans to run against Democrat Biden again in the election. The process was originally scheduled to begin in early March but was postponed due to the unclear immunity issue.
Trump plays in all his legal disputes on time. If he wins the election, he would likely instruct the Department of Justice to drop the charges against him. This would also apply to another case before a federal court in Florida, where it goes to his taking of confidential government documents to his private residence.
Decision could influence criminal proceedings against Trump
The Supreme Court decision could potentially influence ongoing criminal proceedings against Trump. In the case before the Washington, D.C. federal court, the special prosecutor had argued that Trump's actions in attempting to overturn the election results were part of his official duties as president. However, the Supreme Court's ruling that a sitting president cannot be indicted or prosecuted for official actions while in office could potentially shield Trump from criminal liability for those actions.
Additionally, the decision could also impact the ongoing investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department is currently investigating whether Trump mishandled classified documents by taking them from the White House to his private residence after leaving office. The Supreme Court's ruling could potentially limit the scope of the investigation or prevent the prosecution of Trump for mishandling those documents while he was still president.
Against the 78-year-old ex-President, a total of four criminal charges have been filed. He was also sued by the Georgia state justice for his electoral interventions. The dates for the processes in Georgia and the document affair are completely unclear.
On the other hand, in the New York process against Trump regarding the payment to the former porn actress Stormy Daniels, there was already a verdict at the end of May. The jury found Trump guilty in all 34 points of falsifying business documents to hide the hush money payment - he is the first ex-US President to be criminally convicted in history. The sentence for Trump will be pronounced by the New York judge on July 11.
However, several US media reported that Trump's lawyers had sent a letter to the responsible judge to vacate the verdict and postpone the pronouncement of the sentence in light of the Supreme Court decision.
The Supreme Court's decision to grant Trump partial immunity, criticized by President Biden, raises concerns about the limits of presidential power. This precedent, according to Biden, could imply that there are no restrictions for a president's actions. Trump, on the other hand, touted the decision as a victory for the Constitution and democracy. The immunity decision could potentially shield Trump from criminal liability in ongoing investigations. This includes the case in Washington D.C., where his attempts to overturn the election results are under scrutiny, and the investigation into his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Moreover, the decision could potentially impact the ongoing Georgia process against Trump for his electoral interventions and the New York case regarding the payment to Stormy Daniels. Trump's lawyers have reportedly sent a letter to vacate the verdict in the Stormy Daniels case in light of the Supreme Court decision. This complex legal landscape continues to unfold in the USA.
