The US Supreme Court gave special counsel Jack Smith a week to file a response to Donald Trump’s attempt to delay his election interference case by arguing that he should have immunity from prosecution.
Lawyers for the former president had filed papers with the high court on Monday seeking to continue the pause of the D.C. federal case against Trump, 77, for allegedly conspiring to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.
In a very brief order on Tuesday, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts “requested” a response from Smith’s office within a week (by February 20 at 5 p.m.) in response to the efforts of Trump for keeping his presidential immunity defense alive after a defeat in a lower appeals court earlier this month.
SCOTUS last week heard arguments in a separate case from lawyers for the Republican presidential front-runner seeking to keep his name on Colorado’s primary ballot, a request that conservative-majority justices appear inclined to grant.
Smith’s D.C. federal criminal case against the real estate mogul was scheduled to go to trial on March 4, but the trial judge threw out the date and paused the case until the issue of presidential immunity was resolved on appeal.
Special counsel Jack Smith has one week to respond to Donald Trump’s attempt to delay his election interference case. AP Trump filed papers with the nation’s highest court on Monday asking them to keep the D.C. federal case against him on hold as he argued he should be able to invoke presidential immunity. AP Chief Justice John Roberts gave Smith’s office until a week from Tuesday to respond. Patsy Lynch/MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Smith had previously attempted to take the case to the Supreme Court to maintain the trial date and prevent it from being postponed until after the November general election. But the top prosecutor suffered a setback when the high court refused to hear the case before a mid-level appeals court made its decision.
That decision came on February 6, when the D.C. Court of Appeals determined that Trump does not enjoy complete immunity from prosecution.
Trump’s lawyers said in court papers Monday that if the high court allows a president to be impeached, it will set a dangerous precedent for future commanders in chief who will face the threat of politically motivated prosecution by their opponents and who may Let go of your fear of being prosecuted. interfere with work.
“This threat will hang like a millstone around the neck of every future president, distorting presidential decision-making, undermining the president’s independence, and clouding the president’s ability” to handle his official duties impartially and without fear, his colleagues wrote. lawyers.
“Without immunity from criminal prosecution, the Presidency as we know it will cease to exist,” the document said.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn