Posted on 07/01/2024 6:33:16 AM PDT by CFW
The Supreme Court will be issuing Opinions at 10:00 a.m. this morning for the October 2023 term. You can read the opinions released thus far at Supreme Court opinions.
The attorneys at scotusblog will be liveblogging the release of opinions from the pressroom.
There are four cases remaining undecided for the October 2023 term.
October sitting: All opinions have been released;
November sitting: All opinions have been released;
December sitting: All opinions have been released;
January sitting: All opinions have been released.
February sitting: There are three cases pending.
Corner Post v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, (an Administrative Procedure Act issue), and the two First Amendment cases. Moody v. NetChoice, LLC, and NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton.
March sitting: All opinions have been released.
And then there is the case we are all waiting for from the...
April setting: There is one case remaining undecided.
Which is the case of Trump v. U.S., No. 23-939 [Arg: 4.25.2024]
Issue(s): Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.
Opinion days are fun but nerve-racking. Join the fun, post your comments and insights here at the thread, and, say a prayer for the Justices!
(Excerpt) Read more at scotusblog.com ...
Maybe Merchan (and, the other evil Dems) will finally get the hint/buy a clue.
We’re sick and tired of their overreaching political LAWFARE!!
Maybe it will 🤔
LOL!
Sotomayor does not use "respectfully" with "dissent" here or at the end of her dissent, which concludes: "With fear for our democracy, I dissent."
From scotusblog:
The court holds that a former president has absolute immunity for his core constitutional powers.
Former presidents are also entitled to at least a presumption of immunity for their official acts.
There is no immunity, the court holds, for unofficial acts.
The core constitutional powers are things like appointing ambassadors and foreign governments.
The court explains that it does not need to decide in this case whether immunity for official acts is presumptive or absolute.
The court in Part III of its opinion indicates that in this case “no court has thus far considered how” to distinguish between official and unofficial acts.
Moreover, Roberts continues, “the lower courts rendered their decisions on a highly expedited basis” and “did not analyze the conduct alleged in the indictment to decide which of it should be categorized as official and which unofficial” — and it wasn’t briefed before the Supreme Court.
So the Supreme Court isn’t going to make that determination now. Instead, it will send the case back to the lower courts for further proceedings, although it does offer some guidance.
“Certain allegations—such as those involving Trump’s discussions with the Acting Attorney General—are readily categorized in light of the nature of the President’s official relationship to the office held by that individual. Other allegations—such as those involving Trump’s interactions with the Vice President, state officials, and certain private parties, and his comments to the general public—present more difficult questions.”
(Roberts is still reading from his opinion.)
But later in the opinion, the court does weigh in on some aspects. “Trump is ... absolutely immune from prosecution for the alleged conduct involving his discussions with Justice Department officials.”
The court sends the case back to the district court for it to determine other things, such as “whether a prosecution involving Trump’s attempts to influence the Vice President’s oversight of the certification proceeding in his capacity as President of the Senate would pose any dangers of intrusion on the authority and functions of the Executive Branch.”
Roberts writes that “Trump asserts a far broader immunity than the limited one we have recognized.”
“As for the dissents,” Roberts writes, “they strike a tone of chilling doom that is wholly disproportionate to what the Court actually does today—conclude that immunity extends to official discussions between the President and his Attorney General, and then remand to the lower courts to determine ‘in the first instance’ whether and to what extent Trump’s remaining alleged conduct is entitled to immunity.”
Sotomayor is now reading from her dissent.
Roberts in his conclusion writes that “This case poses a question of lasting significance.” He notes that the immunity question has not come up before. “But in addressing that question today, unlike the political branches and the public at large, we cannot afford to fixate exclusively, or even primarily, on present exegencies.”
Final substantive paragraph: “The president enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law. But Congress may not criminalize the President’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution.”
Justice Thomas writes a concurring opinion in which he questions the validity of Jack Smith’s appointment as special counsel. “If this unprecedented prosecution is to proceed, it must be conducted by someone authorized to do so by the American people.”
From the Sotomayor dissent, which is joined by both Kagan and Jackson: Today’s ruling “reshapes the institution of the Presidency” and “makes a mockery of the principle . . . that no man is above the law.” The decision “gives former President Trump all the immunity he asked for and more. Because our Constitution does not shield a former president from answering for criminal and treasonous acts, I dissent.”
👍🇺🇸👍🙏
They are activists, not interested in what the law says or what citizens think.
I'll have to think about this result as they punted most of the question back to the lower courts.
As far at the Jack Smith records case, I think that one it going to be done. Trump was still President when he declassified the documents even if he did it in his mind. It was an official act.
It shouldn’t affect it at all. I don’t see any way the actions alleged in that case could be cast as official presidential actions. Not saying they were illegal, just saying they wouldn’t be affected by this decision. There are other issues that will get that case tossed on appeal, but that will not prevent sentencing from happening.
Sotomoyer’s dissent is riddled with MSNBC talking points and historical inaccuracies. She is a disgrace.
Thank you!
👍
Pardons do.
If I recall right, Donald Trump Jr and the other kids were forced to testify. An opinion on their part could be twisted by our current system and labeled a punishable lie.
The Florida, the Georgia and the DC case should be thrown out at this point.
The only case that would be considered “unofficial” is the New York case.
Sounds like the Unwise Latina (along with her whiney cohorts) need a whaaaaaambulance.
Definitely delays this well beyond the ‘24 election.
Trump will be sworn in next January, bringing Smith’s nonsense to an end.
I’m not sure I’m seeing that connection, though the Stormy case was bogus.
LOLOLOL ... they just can’t help themselves. Once a hall monitor, always a hall monitor.
A criminal act like killing an American citizen overseas with a drone with no trial? All of the past living presidents are sighing in relief right now because of this decision.
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