🚨 BREAKING: Supreme Court has *granted* cert and will consider presidential immunity.
Argument is set for week of April 22, an expedited timeline. pic.twitter.com/JiFQd7BBw1
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) February 28, 2024
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can claim presidential immunity over criminal election interference charges, adding a new hurdle to a trial taking place.
The court in a brief order said it would hear arguments and issue a ruling on the immunity claim. In the meantime, the case is on hold, meaning no trial can take place.
The order said the court would hear the case the week of April 22.
The case could take months to resolve.
The legal question the court will decide is “whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office,” the order said.
Even if Trump loses, the trial would not take place until well into election season. If Trump were to win in a ruling, the charges would be dismissed.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled against Trump on Feb. 6 but gave him time to file an emergency request at the Supreme Court that would prevent the decision from going into effect.
“For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant,” the appeals court ruling said.
That court did not directly decide whether Trump was engaged in “official acts” when he was contesting the election results.
www.cnbc.com/2024/02/28/trump-election-case-supreme-court-will-rule-on-immunity.html