US Supreme Court rules Trump has 'absolute immunity'

Former US President Donald Trump has received favorable news from the US Supreme Court regarding the cases filed against him concerning his role in the January 6 Capitol riot and allegations of interference in the 2020 Presidential election.

The Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that former President Donald Trump has 'absolute immunity' for actions taken within his constitutional powers, but does not have immunity for personal actions. With this decision, the Supreme Court overturned the lower court's ruling, holding that Trump cannot be prosecuted for official acts during his presidency, but can be prosecuted for private acts. With this ruling, the possibility of Trump being tried before the presidential election on November 5 of this year has largely been eliminated.

Chief Justice John Roberts stated, "Under our constitutional structure, we hold that the nature of presidential power requires that a former president must have criminal immunity for official acts performed during his term of office." Roberts announced that the case against Trump would be sent back to the lower court for review.

"PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN"

Evaluating the Supreme Court's decision in a social media post, Trump said, "A big win for our Constitution and democracy. I am proud to be an American."

Federal Appeals Court had ruled that Trump did not have immunity

Trump is accused of interfering with the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. The charges against Trump include attempting to obstruct the certification of election results, defrauding the federal government through deceit and trickery, and conspiring to disenfranchise voters. The charges also include spreading false claims of election fraud, planning to create slates of fake electors, pressuring the US Department of Justice to investigate alleged election fraud, and pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence to block the certification of Joe Biden's victory in Congress.

The indictment in which Trump is accused of interfering with the 2020 election results and playing a role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot was announced on August 1, 2023. However, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan had announced that she would not set a trial date until a decision was made by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals regarding Trump's immunity.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit had ruled in a decision announced on February 6 that former President Trump did not have immunity and could be tried on charges of interfering in the 2020 election. Challenging this decision, Trump took the matter to the Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a 6-3 majority over liberals.

NUMEROUS CASES FILED AGAINST TRUMP

Trump was found guilty by a 12-person jury on all 34 counts in the case where he was tried for paying "hush money" to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election and falsifying official records to cover up the payment. Trump, who went down in history as the first former US president to be found guilty by a jury in a criminal trial, will have his sentence announced on July 11.

More than 100 classified government documents were found during an FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on August 8, 2022, and an investigation was launched into the incident. In the indictment prepared as part of the investigation, many different charges were brought against Trump and a lawsuit was filed.

Trump, who faced a civil fraud lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, was accused along with the Trump Organization and some of its executives of inflating the value of assets to obtain better commercial terms on bank loans and insurance transactions, and he paid a $175 million fine.

In a "damages" lawsuit filed by former magazine writer E. Jean Carroll, a Manhattan Federal Court in New York had ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages.

Trump will run as the Republican Party's candidate in the US Presidential Election on November 5, 2024.