Prosecution Can Still Pursue Donald Trump
TL/DR –
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled that former President Donald Trump is not immune from federal prosecution, rejecting arguments from Trump’s lawyers that he had immunity as a former president. The decision from the three-judge panel means Trump will face trial on a criminal indictment alleging he sought to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden. The judges stated that Trump is now “a citizen with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant” and that a president does not have “unbounded authority to commit crimes.”
US Court of Appeals Rules Donald Trump Not Immune from Prosecution
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled that Donald Trump lacks immunity from federal prosecution. This decision from a three-judge panel means that Trump will stand trial for a criminal indictment accusing him of seeking to overturn his loss to President Biden.
The landmark ruling follows arguments from Trump’s lawyers last month claiming that, as a former president, Trump is immune from federal prosecution. Special counsel Jack Smith, leading the federal investigation, contended that this precedent would give presidents unrestricted authority to commit crimes, undermining the US’s national security and democratic strength.
In the context of the federal investigation into election interference, the judges ruled that “former President Trump is now citizen Trump, subject to the same defenses as any criminal defendant.”
“We cannot endorse former President Trump’s assertion that a President holds unchecked authority to commit crimes that negate the most fundamental check on executive power – the acknowledgement and enforcement of election results. We also can’t support his claim that the Executive possesses an unrestricted right to infringe upon individual citizens’ voting rights and their right to have their votes counted,” the panel discussed.
Furthermore, they ruled that this decision only applies to this specific federal investigation.
Trump has denied four felony counts accusing him of trying to overturn the 2020 election and inciting followers to attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, which resulted in 140 injured law enforcement officers.
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