AMN / Washington
In United States the the Supreme Court on Friday declined for now to take up a landmark case over whether former President Donald Trump is absolutely immune from prosecution for alleged crimes committed while he was in office, a move that allows the appeals process to play out first.
The court issued a one-line, unsigned order denying the request from special counsel Jack Smith: “The petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment is denied.” There were no noted dissents.
Mr Trump was indicted on election subversion charges earlier this year.
The court did not explain its decision, instead issuing an unsigned order saying that Mr Smith’s petition “is denied”.
The ruling is a setback for Mr Smith, who had asked the Supreme Court to intervene early for fear that the appeals process could delay the start of Mr Trump’s trial, which was scheduled to begin on 4 March in Washington DC.
Mr Smith’s office declined to comment on the ruling.
Mr Trump is being investigated for his alleged attempts to overturn the election leading up to the 6 January Capitol riot.
This delay marks a procedural victory for the former president, as his legal team appears intent on postponing the trial for as long as possible.
The high court’s rejection paves the way for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to rule first on whether the former president can be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to thwart the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 presidential election. The move does not preclude the losing party — Trump or Smith — from seeking the Supreme Court’s review again after the appeals court makes its determination.
“Looking forward to the very important arguments on Presidential Immunity in front of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals,” Trump wrote Friday.