A hearing was held on the 9th in the Federal High Court in Washington, DC, to determine whether former President Donald Trump will be granted immunity from the charges against him for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election The judge expressed skepticism about Trump’s argument that he cannot be prosecuted for his actions while president.
The judges peppered Trump’s lawyers with questions about how far the theory of presidential immunity applies. One of the judges asked whether a person in the president’s office could order the killing of a political opponent and escape punishment because it was an “official duty.”
Using the example of SEAL Team 6, the U.S. Navy’s elite strike force, Judge Florence Pan stated, “Ordering SEAL Team 6 is a public service” and “Can the President order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political opponent?” Trump lawyer John Sauer asked.
Sauer responded that such a president would be “quickly impeached and convicted” by the U.S. Senate, paving the way for criminal prosecution. But Sauer continued to avoid a direct answer to Judge Pan’s question about whether criminal charges could be brought in the absence of impeachment or a guilty verdict.
Trump speaks to journalists in a hotel in Washington (9th)
Photographer: Susan Walsh/AP
On December 1, Washington Federal District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected Trump’s request for immunity from prosecution for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
US District Court Denies Trump Immunity in 2020 Presidential Election Interference Case
Sauer argued that a president could only be criminally prosecuted if the U.S. Senate voted guilty in an impeachment trial for the same conduct. She pointed out that the Senate acquitted Trump in the impeachment trial during the 2020 presidential election.
Meanwhile, the justices have repeatedly asked how the impeachment rule applies to crimes that do not lead to impeachment.
The decision of the Federal High Court is expected as early as the 10th.
Related article:
Trump says he should be granted immunity from prosecution – US Supreme Court
Original title: Trump Immunity Claim Gets Cold Reception from Court of Appeals (excerpt)
2024-01-09 19:51:00
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