The special prosecutor asks the Supreme Court to rule on Trump’s immunity
Federal Prosecutor Jack Smith, on Monday, asked the US Supreme Court to issue an urgent ruling on the immunity that Donald Trump invoked to prevent the former president from derailing his course. His trial is scheduled for the 2020 elections.
Lawyers for the favorite in the Republican primary are systematically demanding that his various trials be held as soon as possible, and in any case after the November 2024 presidential election.
Judge Tanya Chutkanwho will preside over the proceedings in the federal trial of Donald Trump and his alleged illegal attempts To overturn the result of the 2020 elections, his request for immunity was rejected on December 1, considering that there is no provision that protects a former president from criminal prosecution.
“Exceptional” file.
But the appeal filed by his lawyers on December 7 “stays the proceedings” against him, as Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, who is investigating the case, points out in his request for direct referral to the Supreme Court. However, “if the appeal proceedings proceed according to the usual rhythm of the Court of Appeal, a final decision cannot be issued before several months,” while the trial must begin on March 4, 2024, he stressed.
“It is imperative in the public interest that the defendant’s claim for immunity be resolved as quickly as possible — and, if he does not have immunity, that he be tried in a fair and expedited trial,” the special prosecutor says. He admits that this is an “exceptional request,” adding: “It is an exceptional file.”
In consequence, Jack Smith asked for a suprême of the question and fixer for the audience to bring the opportunity to end the arguments of the parties before the statue of the last session, which had reached the end of the 30th session. June. The court, without ruling on the referral itself, agreed in the afternoon to consider it urgently, and gave the defense until December 20 to respond.
Possible trial delay
Jack Smith adds: “Although there is no precedent supporting the defendant’s claim to criminal immunity as a former president, the state acknowledges that this court has never ruled” on this issue.
At the same time, he filed a request for emergency review with the federal appeals court in Washington, in case the Supreme Court’s nine justices, six appointed by Republican presidents and three appointed by Democrats, reject his request.
For its part, the Court of Appeal gave Donald Trump’s lawyers until Wednesday to respond to this emergency appeal. His campaign team responded in a statement to Jack Smith’s request: “There is absolutely no reason to rush this farce trial other than to harm President Trump and tens of millions of his supporters.”
Donald Trump’s lawyers say he enjoys “absolute immunity” for his actions while in the White House. They cite Supreme Court case law from the 1980s regarding civil lawsuits against former President Richard Nixon.
Even with speedy action, the US Supreme Court is unlikely to issue an opinion before February, making the March 4 start date uncertain.
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