In a dramatic turn of events, the US Supreme Court made a groundbreaking verdict, while favouring former President Donald Trump, as it ruled that presidents cannot be prosecuted for official acts conducted while in office. The judgment drew strong criticism from US President Joe Biden, who argued that the verdict effectively places the president above the law. Following the unexpected verdict, Trump’s legal team was quick to file a letter challenging his conviction in the criminal hush money trial in New York, maintaining that the trial improperly included evidence related to his official responsibilities, and cited the recent US top Court ruling that upheld presidential immunity.
Trump’s challenge to the New York Court’s conviction comes as the Republican candidate seeks to avoid other pre-election trials in the three most significant criminal prosecutions he faces months before the US Presidential Elections in November. The decision has effectively postponed the former president’s trial, originally slated for March 4.
Presidential candidate Trump hailed the verdict as a “victory for democracy and the Constitution”. Taking to social media platform, Truth Social, he asserted that the ruling should put an end to what he termed as Biden’s “witch hunts” against him. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden criticized the top Court’s ruling in a stern address from the White House, warning about its ramifications for president’s accountability. Biden argued that the verdict effectively places the president above the law regarding official conduct.
Notably, while giving the verdict, Chief Justice John Roberts had said that the President is “not above the law” but does have “absolute immunity”, and clarified that presidential immunity from prosecution applies strictly to official activities and not unofficial actions. The case has been returned to lower courts to distinguish charges related to Trump’s official versus unofficial conduct.
Significantly, the US top Court’s groundbreaking decision, split 6-3 along ideological lines, established that presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for core official acts. Legal experts anticipate that a successful challenge by Trump could significantly prolong the resolution of several key legal battles he currently faces, including investigations spanning his actions before and during his presidency, as well as cases linked to the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
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