Former President Donald Trump recently reacted to the dismissal of his case on classified documents in Florida.
The recent win by former President Trump marked a string of legal victories that is diminishing the challenges he could face during his second general election.
Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court said in Trump v. United States that a former president does have absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts while sitting as head of state or government (albeit not for unofficial conduct).
The high court said Trump cannot be criminally prosecuted for “official acts” in office, and left it up to the lower courts to decide where that official-unofficial line is located.
“The President therefore may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled, at a minimum, to a presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts,” the majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts states. “That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party.”
The question of presidential immunity arose from a special counsel case filed on January 6 by Jack Smith, who Trump put to not guilty. The lower court has put the trial on hold while it awaits a ruling by the Supreme Court, which threw out charges related to official presidential acts.
After the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump’s lawyers submitted a three-page request for a delay to keep him from being sentenced. District Attorney Alvin Bragg investigation of Trump found him guilty on all counts in 1st degree.
Originally set for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, Judge Juan Merchan delayed sentencing to hold a hearing on September 18.
Trump’s lawyers then asked Merchan to throw out the guilty verdict based on the Supreme Court ruling. They claimed the court to should “dismiss the indictment and vacate the jury’s verdict based on violations of the Presidential immunity doctrine and the Supremacy Clause.”
Trump was indicted on charges of illegally holding onto classified documents in Mar-a-Lago and pleaded not guilty to 37 felonies, including willfully retaining national defense information.
