The U.S. Supreme Court will convene a special session Thursday to hear arguments in the case of Donald Trump's special counsel seeking to overturn the 2020 election results over whether presidential immunity protects him from prosecution. .
While the former president claims that Nixon-era rulings give him broad immunity from prosecution related to his time in office, Special Counsel Jack Smith's office says the president has “absolute He points to another Nixon case in which he argued that he was not given “unconditional” judicial immunity. act.
Arguments on April 25 could influence whether President Trump takes the Washington special counsel case and whether prosecutors move forward before the November presidential election.
Meanwhile, in Arizona, key Trump allies were indicted Wednesday on charges of a “fake elector” conspiracy to falsify the 2020 presidential election results.
Key Point
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Why the specter of the Nixon administration hangs over Donald Trump's immunity hearings
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The Supreme Court is considering President Trump's claim of “presidential immunity.” What does that mean?
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What you need to know about Donald Trump's immunity fight
The Supreme Court is considering President Trump's claim of “presidential immunity.” What does that mean?
01:53 , josh marcus
The Supreme Court will soon decide whether Donald Trump and future presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution for actions committed while in the White House.
In what is shaping up to be a landmark ruling from the nation's highest court, nine justices found that Mr. Trump had made false claims of election fraud, tried to install fake electors, and that the former vice president It will determine whether the US is attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election by applying pressure. If President Mike Pence were to decertify the election results as part of his “official acts” as president, it would protect him from criminal prosecution.
Trump argues that he should enjoy absolute immunity, citing past court precedents that have ruled that presidents are immune from civil lawsuits brought against them for their actions while in office.
But Special Counsel Jack Smith, who prosecuted four federal charges against Trump, took a different view, citing precedent that has determined that presidents do not have immunity from criminal justice proceedings.
ariana bio I will report it.
President Trump's charges will be at the center of Thursday's Supreme Court hearing
Thursday, April 25, 2024 00:27 , josh marcus
Thursday's Supreme Court arguments were prompted by last year's lawsuit by federal officials accusing Donald Trump of trying to overturn the 2020 election.
at that time, alex woodward We have done this analysis of what the charges mean.
8 key facts from President Trump's January 6 indictment
What you need to know about Donald Trump's immunity fight
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 23:27 , josh marcus
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday on whether presidential immunity protects Donald Trump from a special counsel lawsuit against him seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Here's what you need to know:
Why is this case important?
Thursday's debate deals with a highly complex area of the law: the extent to which presidents are protected from prosecution based on their actions while in office.
It's a complex balance the Supreme Court has wrestled with for years, especially when it comes to scandal-plagued presidents.
While the high court has acknowledged that the commander-in-chief cannot be sued for everything that happens while in the White House, the committee also found that the president can avoid judicial process altogether simply because It was determined that it was not possible. Because of their position.
As a result of this history, both sides of Thursday's debate are actually making opposing points about the scope of presidential immunity, going back to Nixon-era precedents.
More than just an important legal issue, the judge's position will affect whether criminal charges will be brought against Donald Trump for his actions in the final chaotic moments of the 2020 election.
What are the underlying charges that led to this incident?
Last August, Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Donald Trump on four federal criminal charges in Washington, D.C., in connection with the former president's plot to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has asked for the case to be thrown out, arguing that his actions during the 2020 election are not subject to prosecution because they were related to his duties as president.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up the immunity issue in February after a series of lower appellate courts rejected the former president's claims.
What's next?
It's anyone's guess, but the high court's decision could have a major impact on the special prosecutor's case.
Even if Trump is unable to dismiss the federal lawsuit outright, the Supreme Court's decision could lead to further arguments and hearings in other courts, with a potentially high-profile trial scheduled for November. There is a possibility that it will be postponed until after the next presidential election.
Why the specter of the Nixon administration hangs over Donald Trump's immunity hearings
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 22:45 , josh marcus
The question of whether Donald Trump has immunity from criminal prosecution will be debated by Supreme Court justices on Thursday, with both the former president and special counsel Jack Smith citing a case involving former President Richard Nixon. It is argued by citing.
However, both sides are trying to use the Nixon incident to push opposing arguments.
ariana bio I will explain.
Nixon decision at the center of President Trump's Supreme Court immunity suit
Donald Trump returns to the Supreme Court
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 22:44
Hello. Welcome to live coverage of the Supreme Court hearing on the scope of Donald Trump's immunity from prosecution.
The debate could determine the future of special counsel Jack Smith's case against the former president, and perhaps the fate of the 2024 election itself.