The United States Supreme Court ruled on Monday that former President Donald Trump has some immunity from prosecution, a decision likely to delay his trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results.
The 6-3 decision, which split along ideological lines, comes just four months ahead of the presidential election where Trump is the Republican candidate set to challenge Democrat Joe Biden, AFP reports.
This landmark case, the last heard during the court’s current term, has significant implications for executive power and the 2024 White House race.
Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, asserted that while a president is “not above the law,” he does possess “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for official acts performed while in office.
“The president may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers and is entitled to presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts,” Roberts stated. However, he clarified, “There is no immunity for a President’s unofficial acts,” sending the case back to a lower court to determine which of the charges against Trump involve official versus unofficial conduct.
This decision means that a US District Court will now conduct a series of pre-trial hearings, making it highly unlikely for the trial to commence before the November election.
Trump faces charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct, and obstruction of an official proceeding—the January 6, 2021, joint session of Congress to certify Biden’s victory. Additionally, he is charged with conspiracy to deny Americans the right to vote and have their votes counted.
The three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressing concern for democracy. “Never in our Republic’s history has a President had reason to believe he would be immune from criminal prosecution for using his office to violate the law,” Sotomayor argued. She warned that the ruling effectively places the President “above the law” in cases of official power abuse.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump hailed the ruling as a “big win for our Constitution and democracy.” Conversely, Biden’s reelection campaign criticized Trump, stating he believes he’s “above the law” and willing to do anything to maintain power.
Trump’s original trial date for the election case was set for March 4. However, the Supreme Court, dominated by conservatives including three Trump appointees, agreed in February to hear his argument for absolute presidential immunity, pausing the case while they deliberated.
Facing multiple criminal cases, Trump has sought to delay the trials until after the election. On May 30, a New York jury convicted Trump of felony charges for falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 presidential campaign, making him the first former US president ever convicted of a crime. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
