US Supreme Court begins hearing Trump’s plea for immunity – Times of India

Washington: USA Supreme Court Faces a big test of power on Thursday Presidency As the justices begin hearing arguments about Donald trump cardrate Immunity from prosecution Thanks to his efforts to turn 2020 upside down defeat
Trump appealed after a lower court denied a request to be immune from four election-related claims criminal The allegations arose out of actions he took during his tenure as president. complaint Received by special prosecutor Jack Smith.
Trump, the Republican candidate challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election, is the first former US president to face criminal charges.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case and faces three other criminal cases, including an ongoing trial in New York state toll Related to hush payments to a porn star shortly before the 2016 US election, which put the star in the White House. Trump did not attend the Supreme Court’s arguments because he was hearing the case in a Manhattan court.
“The president has to have immunity… If you don’t have immunity, you can’t do anything. You’re just going to be a president,” Trump told reporters en route to New York for a court appearance. “The President should have immunity.” “
The court’s 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by Trump: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.
This year, the court handed Trump a major victory as he campaigns for re-election. On March 4, it overturned a judicial decision that barred him from the Colorado vote under a constitutional provision that involved inciting and advocating rebellion that his supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. outside
Not since the landmark Bush v. Gore decision, which handed the disputed 2000 US election to Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore, has the Court played such a prominent role in Gore’s presidential campaign.
Outside the white marble courthouse before the debate on an overcast spring day in the nation’s capital, some protesters held anti-Trump signs, including one that read “Lose.”
Trump has taken several steps to try to reverse his loss to Biden in 2020. His false claims of massive vote fraud sparked riots in the Capitol on the day Congress met to confirm Biden’s victory, with his supporters attacking police and storming the building, causing lawmakers and others to flee. Trump and his allies also hatched a plan to use fake electors in key states to block certification.
The August 2023 complaint said Trump was “determined to stay in power” despite his election loss. Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to corruptly obstruct official proceedings and conspiracy to violate Americans’ voting rights.
“Absolute Immunity”
Trump’s lawyers told the judge in a filing that the former president “enjoys complete immunity from criminal prosecution in connection with his official conduct.” Without such immunity, they said, “the threat of future prosecution and imprisonment will serve as a political lever to influence the most sensitive and controversial presidential decisions.”
In a filing, Smith urged the judge to reject Trump’s request for immunity from prosecution on the principle that “no one is above the law.”
In October 2023, Trump sought to have the charges dismissed based on his claim of immunity. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected that claim in December. Smith then asked the judge for an expedited review of the immunity claim, but the judge refused. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 3-0 in February that Trump’s appeal against Chutkan was invalid. rule.
The Supreme Court decided to postpone immunity hearings until this month, delaying Trump’s trial, which was originally scheduled to begin in March. Legal experts say a judge must rule by June 1 to try Trump before the election.
A ruling is expected by the end of June at the latest, which could force Chutkan to decide whether to start a trial in September or October when early voting begins in some states.
If Trump is re-elected president, he could seek to end the impeachment trial or pardon himself for any federal crimes he may have committed.
Trump also faces election sedition charges in a Georgia court and a federal complaint filed by Smith in Florida over the withholding of classified documents after he left office.

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