Supreme Court ruling - Trump sentence in New York probably delayed
After a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States on the immunity of US Presidents, there are indications of a delay in the sentencing announcement against Donald Trump in his New York case. The prosecution wrote in a letter to the presiding judge Juan Merchan that they have no objections to a later date for the announcement of the sentence.
The defense, in turn, asked for a deadline until July 24 to respond to Trump's petition to vacate the guilty verdict. If Merchan grants this, the sentencing of the penalty set for July 11 would be delayed by at least two weeks.
Jurors found Trump guilty in the hush money case
The background is that Trump is challenging the judgment against him following a significant decision of the Supreme Court on Monday. In this judgment, it is stated that US Presidents enjoy extensive protection from prosecution for official actions in office. The move by Trump's lawyers was expected and is seen as having little chance of success, as the New York case primarily concerns actions that took place before his presidency.
Jurors in New York had found the former president guilty of 34 charges a few weeks ago in the hush money case. In this trial, it went to illegal payments to a porn star. It was the first time in the history of the United States that a former president was convicted of a criminal offense. Trump could potentially face a multi-year prison sentence.
Biden sees "dangerous precedent"
Trump's success at the highest US Court is groundbreaking: The Supreme Court ruled that he does not enjoy complete immunity for actions during his presidency but that the protection from prosecution is quite extensive. US President Joe Biden spoke of a "dangerous precedent" in reference to the Supreme Court's decision.
With their decision, the justices also further delay the start of the election fraud proceedings against the 78-year-old in Washington, D.C. A lower court now needs to determine for which actions Trump's immunity applies. It is considered highly unlikely that the process in Washington will begin before the presidential election in November.
Legal disputes may last a long time
The New York case is different from, for example, the election fraud proceedings in Washington. The proceedings in Manhattan primarily revolved around Trump's actions as a presidential candidate before the 2016 election. Trump had already failed in his argument that the case concerned his presidency in the past.
However, Trump's lawyers could argue that the prosecution relied on evidence from Trump's time in the White House in this case. Since the Supreme Court decided that official actions of US presidents are not only protected from prosecution but also cannot be used as evidence in criminal proceedings, this issue could come up in an appeal. Trump had already announced that he would appeal the judgment.
Biden: "The only limits are set by the President himself"
US-President Biden criticized the Supreme Court's immunity ruling and warned of serious consequences. "Today's decision means with near certainty that there will be practically no limits for the actions of a President," said the Democrat during a hastily arranged speech at the White House. Every President, including Trump, will now have the freedom to ignore the law, warned the 81-year-old. He will run against Trump in the Presidential election in November.
The Supreme Court created a "fundamentally new principle" with its decision: The power of the Presidency will no longer be limited by laws or the Supreme Court, Biden stated. "The only limits will be set by the President himself." The people in the USA have a right to receive a response from the courts regarding Trump's role in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021 before the upcoming Presidential elections in November. This response will likely no longer be possible after the ruling.
Biden, who is in a critical phase of his campaign after a disastrous TV debate performance in the past week, used the opportunity to call for voting. He did not answer questions about his candidacy.
Liberal justices express "fear for our democracy"
The Supreme Court decision was made with a six to three majority. The three justices perceived as liberal did not align with the conservative majority of the Supreme Court, which Trump had cemented through personnel decisions during his presidency. In the dissenting opinion written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the justices expressed their "fear for our democracy."
Sotomayor outlined potential scenarios in which the President's immunity from prosecution could apply in the future - for example, a murder plot ordered by him against a rival, a military coup by an ousted President, or evidence of bribery.
"Even if these nightmare scenarios never come to pass, and I pray they never do, the damage has already been done," Sotomayor wrote. "In every exercise of his office, the President is now a king, above the law." The long-term consequences of the decision are significant. The Court effectively creates "an lawless zone around the President and shakes the foundation, which has existed since the founding of the Nation."
- The delay in Trump's sentencing announcement stemmed from a Supreme Court ruling granting extensive protection for US Presidents' official actions.
- The public prosecutor's office in New York cited no objections to a later date for announcing the sentence due to the Supreme Court's immunity decision.
- Trump's defense requested a deadline until July 24 to respond to his petition to vacate the guilty verdict, potentially pushing the sentencing back by two weeks.
- The hush money case saw Trump found guilty of 34 charges, making him the first US President to be convicted of a criminal offense.
- Biden criticized the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, calling it a "dangerous precedent" that could lead to presidents ignoring the law.
- The election fraud proceedings against Trump in Washington were also delayed due to the Supreme Court's decision.
- Liberal justices, such as Sonia Sotomayor, expressed their concerns about the impact of the ruling, fearing for the future of democracy in the USA.
- The three liberal justices warned that the Supreme Court's decision could lead to scenarios like a President ordering murders, military coups, or bribery, without fear of legal consequences.
- The Supreme Court's decision could potentially protect Trump from future legal actions related to the Capitol riot happening before the 2024 US Presidential election.
- The immunity ruling, coupled with Biden's disastrous debate performance, put him in a challenging phase of his campaign just before the critical November 2022 US Presidential election.
- The long-term consequences of the landmark Supreme Court decision were significant, creating a "lawless zone around the President" and shaking the foundational principles of American law since its inception.
