As Trump celebrates the South Carolina primary election win over the weekend, he is facing tens of legal challenges in several states including New York, Georgia, Colorado and several other. The Supreme Court of the United States is currently undecided on whether to take up former President Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from legal challenges for actions undertaken during his presidency, as they prepare for their April 2024 discussions. Among the cases on their docket is one related to a January 6, 2021, protester seeking to dismiss a charge of interfering with a Congressional session, a charge similar to one faced by Trump.
Trump strategy is based on as long delays as possible
This comes as Trump contests a lower court’s ruling that, as an ordinary citizen, he is subject to prosecution in federal cases, maintaining his innocence and arguing that his actions during the Capitol riot and his handling of confidential documents were within his presidential duties. Trump’s legal strategy appears to be aimed at delaying his federal trials, possibly until after the upcoming November elections, in the hope that charges might be dropped. According to a recent report, the Supreme Court decision not to put Trump’s case at their April’s schedule is seen as a positive vibe for him and his legal team as it’s in accordance with their strategy. However, others think that this decision might be negative news for Trump.
The Supreme Court will likely refuse to hear Donald Trump’s presidential immunity case
A former federal prosecutor believes the Supreme Court probably won’t take up Donald Trump’s presidential immunity case. Writing on her Civil Discourse legal blog on Sunday, Joyce Vance mentioned on Sunday that the Supreme Court’s delay in deciding to hear Trump’s case suggests they’re leaning towards not accepting it. She thinks the wait is due to someone’s disagreement with the majority’s likely decision not to hear Trump’s appeal.
Judge Tanya Chutkan and the appellate court in Washington D.C. have already denied Trump’s claim to presidential immunity in his case about trying to interfere with the election results. Trump is now asking the Supreme Court to consider his argument that he should be protected from this legal case because he was the U.S. president when those incidents took place. He’s trying to avoid trial in a case by the Department of Justice that examines his actions to change the outcome of the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
The Department of Justice is investigating Trump for his role before and during the January 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. They were protesting the election’s result, which Trump claimed was fraudulently won by Biden. Special prosecutor Jack Smith is also looking into accusations that there was an attempt to put forward fake electors who would vote for Trump in the Electoral College. Trump faces four serious criminal charges but has pleaded not guilty.
“We’re still waiting on [the Supreme Court] on the presidential immunity appeal. If, as seems likely, one or more Justices are writing dissents to a decision by the Court to deny the stay or decline to take the case, we won’t hear from the Court until they are done writing,” Vance added.
“It seems less likely a Justice objecting to a decision by the Court to hear the case would take so long to write a dissent, since their goal would in part be to avoid further delay,” Vance wrote.
Pro- and against Trump decision with different outcomes
A Supreme Court justice who leans liberal and is not in favor of Trump would want to get their disagreement with hearing his case out quickly. They probably hope to see Trump go to trial soon. On the other hand, a justice with conservative views who supports Trump might take their time with their dissent. This is because they might want to help Trump delay his trial over election interference for as long as they can.
