South Carolina – Former U.S. President Donald Trump is in the middle of several serious legal battles as he continues to enjoy strong support among Republicans in the presidential race. However, two judges from South Carolina will have to decide his fate after his court appearance earlier this week, arguing his immunity from prosecution in regards to the charges filed for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Who are the South Carolina judges?
On Tuesday, Trump appeared before the District of Columbia Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. He is arguing that he can’t be prosecuted for the attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, citing presidential immunity. As we have previously reported, he already faces charges in the case.
A total of three judges will have to decide on Trump’s appeal. Two of them are experienced judges from South Carolina who will have to decide in which direction the case against Trump will continue.
Judge J. Michelle Childs
Two years ago, Judge J. Michelle Childs, one of the three judges in the case, got national attention after she was among the few who were supposed to fill a vacant seat at the Supreme Court. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson later occupied this seat. Judge J. Michelle Childs was a judge with the South Carolina 5th Circuit.
Karen LeCraft Henderson
Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson is the second South Carolina judge in Trump’s appeal case. Henderson, once a South Carolina attorney and former South Carolina District Court judge, is among the three judges that are expected to decide whether Trump can call on presidential immunity and avoid being formally prosecuted.
Federal judges are skeptical
The Associated Press (AP) reports that the panel of three judges, two of whom President Joe Biden appointed, expressed grave doubts on Tuesday regarding the former president’s immunity from prosecution for allegations that he conspired to rig the results of the 2020 election. They further questioned whether they had jurisdiction to consider the appeal at this point in the case.
“I think it’s paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law,” said Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush.
This case is very important to everyone, including former President Trump, the public, and the Republican Party, as the outcome will most probably shape the direction of the presidential election set to take place in November.
While special counsel Jack Smith and his team are waiting for a decision that would allow them to continue the case against Trump, currently paused pending the appeal, Trump lawyers are hopeful that the case against Trump will be dismissed, or at least that the legal processes will further delay the trial for months, hopefully for them, after the presidential election.
