The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request by special counsel Jack Smith to fast-track arguments on whether Donald Trump has any immunity from federal prosecution for alleged crimes he committed while in office – a move that will likely delay his trial.

The court did not explain its reasoning and there were no noted dissents.

The court’s decision is a major blow to Smith, who made an extraordinary gamble when he asked the justices to take the rare step of skipping a federal appeals court and quickly deciding a fundamental issue in his election subversion criminal case against Trump.

Both sides will still have the option of appealing an eventual ruling by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals up to the high court, but the court’s move is a major victory for Trump, whose strategy of delay in the criminal case included mounting a protracted fight over the immunity question, which must be settled before his case goes to trial.

  • Cuttlefish1111@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    They don’t even feel the need to explain themselves either. We truly need a revolution, French style, to fix this situation. It won’t happen until the grocery stores are empty

  • Rusticus@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fortunately the Colorado Supreme Court gave the SCOTUS a deadline of Jan 5 to rule or STFU. This will go a long way towards determining whether we continue to have somewhat of a democratic-ish country or we run full steam into fascism.

  • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I’m reading this as Biden should just start locking the traitors up, due process be damned. Firing squads on fifth avenue. If a president can’t be tried while they’re sitting, and they can’t be tried after they leave, none of it matters and I see no problems here. That sound right, SCOTUS?

    • kent_eh
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      1 year ago

      The rightwingnuts already accuse him of similar crimes.

      • Apathy Tree@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        1 year ago

        This is why I never feel bad about taking government aid to which I am entitled.

        After all, republicans already say I, and those like me, are taking it (despite the fact that red states receive far far far more aid than blue), so I might as well just use it and actually benefit from the programs, since the negative perception exists whether I do or not.

        Maybe this is the same…🤔🧐

    • bostonbananarama@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      While I don’t disagree that SCOTUS might very well get around to giving Trump a get out of jail free card, they haven’t acted inappropriately yet. It isn’t the normal flow for this appeal to immediately go to SCOTUS; the expected result for such an attempt is denial.

      • ferralcat@monyet.cc
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        1 year ago

        They’ve taken things yo faster before when there is a time imperative to do so. There is here. They’re breaking their own precedent.

          • TheDoozer@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            …what? How is there not a time imperative? Getting the case completed one way or the other before he is a candidate for president is absolutely time imperative.

            • AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              1 year ago

              Getting the case completed one way or the other before he is a candidate for president is absolutely time imperative.

              [email protected] says there is precedent. What precedent is there for that?

                • TheDoozer@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  That’s a pretty obscure reference, I imagine not many people have heard about that incident. Or repeatedly made reference to it for every real or fake scandal since.

                • AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                  1 year ago

                  The Supreme Court expedited the Watergate case for the purpose of preventing someone from becoming a candidate for President?

                  Who?

              • TheDoozer@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                You’re being deliberately obtuse, here. You know that I was referring to the actual election, and the immediate lead-up once the major parties have decided on their own candidates. It is important to determine if Trump could potentially go to jail before he is the Republican candidate. In fact, it’s important to determine if he is going to jail before then, which means we would need to know if it could potentially happen well before that.

                • Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  I mean, no it’s not being obtuse. He is a candidate for president. Legally he is no different now than if he were to win the nomination.

                  Also, there are exactly 0 stipulations on someone in jail from running or being president. Not being in jail is not one of the constitutional requirements.

                  This entire SCOTUS bit is largely irrelevant other than to secure a conviction before the election, which would sway voters.

      • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        It’s delaying , and aiding Trump’s bullshit. Prosecutors are going to spend months of process now, for the same question to inevitably hit SC’s desk, before Smith can loop back to Trump in time to start his trial 60 odd days before the elections, when he’ll get to whine and complain that trials are interfering with his candidacy. What an infuriatingly corrupt institution.

        • bostonbananarama@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          There’s a process, and the DC circuit is the next stop. Why didn’t the liberal justices dissent? This is fairly standard.

          • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            Yeah, keep that process in mind after Trump wins 2024, pardons himself and carries on with this concept of ironclad immunity for the presidential office. I’m sure it will be a real comfort knowing we did everything we could except expedit this incredibly exceptional circumstance.

            I understand the wheels of justice grind slow, and so does trump. He’s weaponizing and banking on this for his escape maneuver, and that alone should put this case to priority #1.

            Edit: and that’s before we even consider his defense: “maybe I’m immune from crimes committed during office, forever?” is not how this concept has ever been interpreted. It’s a ridiculous proposal with a simple response.

  • AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    The court’s decision is a major blow to Smith, who made an extraordinary gamble when he asked the justices to take the rare step of skipping a federal appeals court and quickly deciding a fundamental issue in his election subversion criminal case against Trump.

    It doesn’t sound like this is a surprise.

    • bedrooms@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      a major victory for Trump, whose strategy of delay in the criminal case included mounting a protracted fight over the immunity question

      Yes, but it also means that Trump successfully used his bad-faith delay tactics.

  • ExLisper@linux.community
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    1 year ago

    A rapist, a sect member and a sexual harasser deciding if another rapist can be a judge. What could go wrong?