Trump immune? Supreme Court should decide quickly
The US federal judiciary is accusing Donald Trump of election meddling and the trial against him is due to begin in March. However, it is still not clear whether the ex-president can be prosecuted at all. Now Special Prosecutor Smith is piling on the pressure - and appealing to the Supreme Court.
US Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has asked the Supreme Court of the United States for a swift clarification of the question of whether former President Donald Trump may enjoy immunity against the election interference charges against him. It is of "urgent public importance" that the Supreme Court rules on the immunity claimed by Trump, Smith explained in his request.
According to previous planning, the trial in federal court against Trump for attempted election manipulation is scheduled to begin on March 4. Smith now stated in his application to the Supreme Court that if the court rejects Trump's claim to immunity, the trial should "proceed as expeditiously as possible". The special prosecutor emphasized that the case concerns "a fundamental question at the core of our democracy". It is about whether a former president is "absolutely immune" from prosecution by the federal judiciary for crimes he committed in office.
Smith asked the Supreme Court to prioritize the issue of Trump's immunity. The special prosecutor himself has taken a clear position on this issue: "No one in this country, not even the president, is above the law," his team wrote to federal judge Tanya Chutkan in October. Trump "is subject to federal criminal laws like more than 330 million other Americans".
Chutkan shares the special prosecutor's reasoning and denied the request from Trump's lawyers on December 1. Trump's four years as president "have not conferred upon him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal liability to which his fellow citizens are subject," she found. Trump's lawyers in turn appealed against Chutkan's decision. They argue that Trump was protected from the charges by his immunity as president at the time. With his application to the Supreme Court, special investigator Smith now wants to speed up the clarification of the question of Trump's possible immunity.
Trump has the best chance of running for president
Trump was indicted by the federal judiciary at the beginning of August for his attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and thus keep himself in power. The right-wing populist has denied all accusations and pleaded not guilty. The 77-year-old was also indicted on similar charges in Atlanta, Georgia.
After the November 2020 election, Republican Trump refused to acknowledge his defeat against Democrat Joe Biden. Instead, he made accusations of massive electoral fraud that have been refuted many times over. Trump's campaign against his election defeat culminated in the attack on the congressional seat in Washington by radical supporters of the unelected incumbent on January 6, 2021.
Chutkan is scheduled to preside over the trial against Trump before a federal court in Washington. The trial would take place during the election campaign for the White House. Trump wants to run again and, according to the polls, has the best chance of being nominated as the presidential candidate again by his Republican Party.
Trump has already been charged in four criminal proceedings this year. A civil trial is also currently underway in New York over allegations that the real estate entrepreneur overstated the value of his properties for years. However, his legal entanglements have not harmed Trump so far. He describes himself as a victim of a politically partisan justice system and has repeatedly used his court appearances for campaign-style appearances.
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- Given the ongoing legal proceedings against former President Donald Trump for election interference charges, US Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has sought clarification from the Supreme Court of the United States on whether Trump has immunity from prosecution.
- In his appeal to the Supreme Court, Special Prosecutor Smith emphasized the urgency of the case, stating that it involves a fundamental question of whether a former president is immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office.
Source: www.ntv.de
