The Court of Appeal ruled that Trump does not enjoy immunity from prosecution (Reuters)
A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that former US President Donald Trump does not enjoy immunity from charges related to trying to overturn the results of the presidential election he lost in 2020, bringing him closer to an unprecedented criminal trial.
A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected Trump's request not to prosecute him, because the accusations related to his official responsibilities as president at the time.
The committee unanimously said in the rationale for its decision, “It is unacceptable for the presidential office to place its former occupants above the law at all times.”
The court concluded that “executive immunity” that may have protected Trump from criminal charges while he was president “no longer protects him from prosecution.”
This ruling overturns Trump's attempts to not be tried on charges of harming American democracy and obstructing the transfer of power, as he seeks to maintain his position as the most prominent candidate to obtain the Republican Party's nomination to run in the presidential elections scheduled for next November.
The case will remain pending at least until next Monday to give Trump an opportunity to appeal to the US Supreme Court.
The panel added that granting Trump immunity in this case would give presidents “unlimited power to commit crimes that would weaken basic controls imposed on executive power, (such as) recognizing and implementing election results.”
Trump is being tried in 4 criminal cases, ranging from obtaining top-secret documents to trying to overturn the results of the previous election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Source: Agencies