In the latest developments from the US Supreme Court, a significant and contentious case involving former President Donald Trump has been making headlines. On January 3, 2025, the New York trial court denied Trump’s motion to dismiss a criminal case based on claims of Presidential immunity, and subsequently set a date for criminal sentencing just a week later, on January 10, 2025. This move was criticized for violating standard practice, due process, and New York criminal law, especially given that it was scheduled just ten days before Trump’s inauguration.
Trump promptly filed an interlocutory appeal and notified the trial court that the proceedings were automatically stayed pending the appeal. However, the New York courts have refused to honor this stay, leading Trump to file an emergency application with the Supreme Court to impose an immediate stay on the criminal proceedings. The application argues that the trial court lacks authority to impose sentence or conduct further criminal proceedings until the resolution of Trump’s appeal, which raises substantial claims of Presidential immunity.
This case is particularly noteworthy given a recent Supreme Court ruling from July 2024, where the Court decided that presidents have immunity for official actions taken while in office, although this does not extend to absolute immunity. The Court ruled that the president is immune from official acts, including those at the outermost perimeter of their official duties, and that the government may not inquire into the president’s motives for these actions.
In other news, the Supreme Court is also dealing with a separate high-profile issue related to the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The government filed an emergency application to stay a nationwide preliminary injunction against the CTA, which was ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has requested that respondents submit their response to the government’s application by January 10, 2025. The outcome of this application is uncertain but will be closely watched as it coincides with other ongoing constitutional challenges in various appellate courts.
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