The U.S. Supreme Court denied Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request to quickly rule on Donald Trump’s immunity claims.
The justices did not explain their decision, instead writing a singular sentence: “The petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment is denied.”
Trump’s lawyers have argued that Trump is immune from federal prosecution for alleged crimes he committed while serving as U.S. President.
The “crimes” include conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights, each of which pertains to the January 6 Capitol event.
“This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office,” Smith wrote in his filing to the Supreme Court.
Smith asked the Supreme Court to take action on the case to prevent delays that could push the trial after the 2024 presidential election.
The Trump campaign criticized Smith for attempting to circumvent the appeals court, saying, “There is absolutely no reason to rush this sham to trial except to injure President Trump and tens of millions of his supporters. President Trump will continue to fight for Justice and oppose these authoritarian tactics.”
