US appeals court: Donald Trump is not immune from prosecution in the 2020 Capitol assault case.
A US Court of Appeals declared on Tuesday that former US President he is not immune from prosecution in the 2020 Capitol assault case, in which he is accused of attempting to change the 2020 US Presidential Election results. The verdict comes during a heated electoral campaign for the 2024 US Presidential Elections, in which Donald Trump is scheduled to face off against incumbent President Joe Biden.
Previously, Donald Trump claimed presidential immunity in the 2020 lawsuit, but a US court decision overturned his claim. The verdict adds to the Republican leader’s legal problems, which already include a number of lawsuits in several states.
This is the second time a court has rejected Donald Trump’s claims of immunity, confirming that he can face prosecution for his acts throughout his administration and leading up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, in which his followers broke into the US Capitol building.
While deciding the case, the court confronted an unusual legal question: could ex-presidents be prosecuted for their official White House conduct after leaving office?
Civil vs. criminal prosecution.
The US Supreme Court has already ruled that sitting presidents are immune from civil liability for official activities, but Donald Trump’s legal team has contended that this immunity also applies to criminal prosecution.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) requested that the Supreme Court consider the Donald Trump case, but the court chose to keep out of the matter at this time and instructed the lower courts to hear the plea.
In December, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed Donald Trump’s immunity argument, noting that the presidency “does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.”
This is one of Donald Trump’s four legal matters, as the former President faces accusations in Florida for allegedly illegally possessing secret information at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Donald Trump is facing charges in Georgia state court for allegedly organizing measures to disrupt the state’s 2020 election results.
In addition, the former President is facing charges in New York for hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump adamantly denies all claims of wrongdoing.
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