02/15/2024

Special Counsel Asks SCOTUS to Let Trump's D.C. Trial Proceed

The court's response is necessary for the trial to begin

Special counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to clear the way for the prosecution of Donald Trump for his efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election, pushing back against the former president’s claim that he should be shielded from standing trial as he again seeks the White House.

In a filing Wednesday evening, Smith’s office urged the justices to let stand a unanimous ruling from a panel of the influential U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that rejected Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for actions he took as president. The Supreme Court’s response will have a significant impact on whether and when Trump goes on trial in Washington, where the presiding judge has already postponed a planned March 4 start date.

Federal prosecutors told the justices that Trump's "alleged criminal scheme to overturn an election and thwart the peaceful transfer of power to his successor should be the last place to recognize a novel form of absolute immunity from federal criminal law."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.