Highlights: The debates will take place “the week of April 22”. A federal appeals court had dismissed on February 6 the criminal immunity invoked by the former Republican president. Donald Trump is the subject of four separate criminal charges and if he were elected again, he could, once inaugurated in January 2025, order a halt to federal proceedings against him. The U.S. Supreme Court is partly satisfying Donald Trump by not allowing the appeal decision to come into force until it has made its own decision.

The highest American court announced on Wednesday that it had agreed to take up the question of the criminal immunity of Donald Trump as a former president. The debates will take place “the…

United States: the Supreme Court takes up the question of Trump's criminal immunity

The highest American court announced on Wednesday that it had agreed to take up the question of the criminal immunity of Donald Trump as a former president.

The debates will take place “the week of April 22”.

Donald Trump awaits the start of a hearing in a New York court, Thursday, February 15, 2024. © Jefferson Siegelon Siegel / AP

By: RFI Follow

Should

Donald Trump benefit from

“absolute immunity”

for his actions committed during his term as President of the

United States

, as his defense insists?

This is the question that the American Supreme Court agreed to address this Wednesday.

In an unsigned statement, the nation's highest court says it will consider "

whether and, if so, to what extent a former president enjoys presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during its mandate

Multiplication of appeals

A federal appeals court had dismissed on February 6 the criminal immunity invoked by the former Republican president, thus reopening the way for his trial in Washington for attempting to illegally reverse the results of the 2020 election. But all The proceedings in this case had been suspended due to the appeal, leading Judge Tanya Chutkan, who will preside over the proceedings, to announce the postponement of the trial, initially scheduled for March 4.

Donald Trump, who is multiplying appeals to do everything in order to go to trial after the presidential election, asked the Supreme Court on February 12 to suspend the entry into force of this appeal decision, which would have made it possible to set a new date for the start of the trial.

Four criminal charges

Thus, by agreeing to take action, the Supreme Court is partly satisfying Donald Trump by not allowing the appeal decision to come into force until it has made its own decision.

But by deciding to debate in April, she also granted the request of special prosecutor Jack Smith who wanted the Court, if it looked into the question, to do so in an accelerated manner.

As a reminder, Donald Trump is the subject of four separate criminal charges and if he were elected again, he could, once inaugurated in January 2025, order a halt to federal proceedings against him.

Also read: United States: what legal proceedings are underway against Donald Trump?

United States: the Supreme Court takes up the question of Trump's criminal immunity

United States: the Supreme Court takes up the question of Trump's criminal immunity

Multiplication of appeals

Four criminal charges

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