Trump launches attack after ruling on partial immunity

Former President Trump has narrowly won the US Supreme Court. Now his lawyers are targeting further criminal proceedings against him. US President Biden criticized the immunity ruling and warned of possible consequences.

Former US President Donald Trump appears to be trying to overturn his conviction in New York following the Supreme Court’s latest ruling on immunity. Hours after the Supreme Court ruling, Republican lawyers took the first steps and wrote a letter to the responsible judge in New York, CNN and the New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

Accordingly, the lawyers reportedly requested the judge to adjourn the sentencing, which was scheduled for July 11. Trump’s team cited a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, according to which U.S. presidents enjoy extensive immunity from prosecution for official acts while in office.

The move by Trump’s lawyers may be expected and hopeless, but subsequent legal proceedings could at least delay the sentencing announcement.

Proceedings in New York

The New York case is different from the election fraud investigation in Washington, which involved Trump’s efforts to alter the results of the 2020 presidential election. At the time, Trump was losing to Democrat Biden, but was unwilling to accept his defeat. The allegation relates to his tenure as president.

Proceedings in New York centered around Trump’s work as a presidential candidate before the 2016 election, when he argued in the past that the case affected his presidency. However, Trump’s lawyers may argue that the prosecution in the case is relying on evidence from Trump’s time in the White House.

Because the Supreme Court has now decided that the official actions of US presidents are not immune from criminal prosecution. They should not be used as evidence in criminal proceedings. This issue is likely to become a final issue in the appeals process. Trump had already announced that he would take action against the verdict after the sentencing.

The Trump camp is gaining time

The Trump camp certainly gained time in the Washington proceedings. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, a lower court will have to decide which of Trump’s actions are subject to immunity. It is highly unlikely that the trial will begin in Washington before the presidential election in November. If Trump wins the election, he could appoint a justice secretary to have the proceedings dismissed after his new term begins. Additionally, Trump could theoretically try to pardon himself.

“Dangerous Prototype”

US President Joe Biden has also commented on the Supreme Court’s decision with unusually sharp words. Biden spoke of a “dangerous precedent” and warned of dire consequences. “Today’s decision almost certainly means there are no limits to what a president can do,” the Democrat said in a brief speech at the White House.

Any president, including Trump, would now have the freedom to ignore the law, the 81-year-old warned. He wants to run against Trump in November’s presidential election. Biden, who is at a critical juncture in his campaign after a disastrous performance in last week’s televised debate, took the opportunity to get people out to vote.

With its decision, the Supreme Court created a “fundamentally new principle”: the power of the presidency is no longer limited by laws, including the Supreme Court, Biden warned. “The only limits are set by the president.”

The American people have a right to an answer from the courts about Trump’s role in the capital attack on January 6, 2021, before the November 6, 2021 presidential elections approach. However, this answer will not be available after the judgment. “It’s an insult to the people of this country,” Biden said.

Three judges dissented

The decision caused controversy among the panel of judges as well. A majority of judges, considered to be very conservative, accepted the decision in principle. Three liberally-considered justices dissented. In a dissenting opinion written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the lawyers expressed “fear for our democracy.”

Sotomayor outlined possible situations in which presidential immunity from criminal prosecution could apply in the future. As an example, he cited an assassination attempt on a rival of his appointee, evidence of a military coup or bribery of the president-elect.

“Although these nightmare scenarios never happen, and I pray they never do, the damage has already been done,” Sotomayor wrote. “In every exercise of his power, the president is now a king above the law.” The long-term consequences of the decision are significant. The court “has effectively created a lawless zone around the president, shaking the status quo since the founding of the nation.”

Trump celebrates a “huge victory” — and plays for time

Trump, on the other hand, celebrated his partial legal victory and called it a “huge victory for the Constitution and democracy” on his online network Truth Social. The Republican Party is playing for time in all its legal disputes. If he wins the election in November, he will instruct the federal judiciary to drop the charges against him. In addition to his election meddling charges in Washington federal court, it will affect another case in federal court in Florida that involved him taking classified government documents to his private home.

A total of four criminal charges were brought against the 78-year-old former president. He was prosecuted by the Georgia State Department of Justice for election interference. Regarding the charges and documents in Georgia, it is not entirely clear when the trial will begin.

Trump is the first former US president to be convicted of criminal offences

However, a New York trial against Trump over payments to former porn star Stormy Daniels resulted in a guilty verdict in late May. A jury found Trump guilty of falsifying 34 business documents — making him the first former US president in history to be convicted of a crime. A New York judge plans to sentence Trump on July 11.