The U.S. Supreme Court gives special counsel Jack Smith one week to file a response to Donald Trump’s attempt to delay election interference lawsuits on the grounds that he should be immune from prosecution. Gave.
Lawyers for the former president filed papers with the high court on Monday seeking a continued stay of a federal lawsuit in D.C. against Trump, 77, for allegedly plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
In a very short order Tuesday, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ordered Mr. Smith’s office within a week in response to President Trump’s efforts to preserve his presidential immunity defense after losing the presidential election. (by 5:00 p.m. on February 20). The case was heard in a lower appellate court earlier this month.
Just last week, Scottus heard arguments in a separate lawsuit by lawyers for the Republican presidential front-runner seeking to keep his name on the Colorado primary ballot, a request that a majority of conservative justices rejected. There seems to be a tendency to acknowledge that
Smith’s D.C. federal criminal case against the real estate mogul was scheduled for trial on March 4, but the trial judge threw out the date and suspended the case until the issue of presidential immunity is resolved on appeal. .
Mr. Smith had previously asked for the case to be expedited to the Supreme Court to preserve the trial date and prevent the case from being postponed until after the November general election. But top prosecutors suffered a setback when the high court refused to hear the case before the intermediate appellate court issued its ruling.
The decision was handed down on February 6, with the D.C. Court of Appeals finding that Trump was not completely immune from prosecution.
Trump’s lawyers said in court documents Monday that if the high court approves the charges against the president, it would set a dangerous precedent for future commanders-in-chief and face the threat of politically motivated prosecutions by his opponents. , said it could leave them in fear of prosecution. Disturb your work.
“This threat hangs like a millstone around the neck of every future president, distorting his decision-making, undermining his independence, and threatening his ability to carry out his official duties fairly and fearlessly,” his lawyers said. “It will cloud the world,” he wrote.
“Without immunity from criminal prosecution, the presidency as we know it will cease to exist,” the filing states.
