On July 1, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) came to the monumental decision that presidents now have immunity from prosecution for “official actions.” Presidents can still be prosecuted regarding “unofficial actions.” What exactly does this mean, and why is this such an important decision?
Essentially, this means that both former and sitting presidents cannot be criminally charged while engaging in official presidential acts, which are defined by the court as “within the outer perimeter” of official responsibilities that rely on constitutional powers. Basically, if the president does something that they are constitutionally entitled to do, that action cannot be administered as evidence in a criminal case against any president. Unofficial acts are defined as anything falling outside of any official presidential acts.
This is obviously quite a big deal. Many media outlets are focusing on how this impacts former President Trump’s legal status, but it’s also important to consider the broad immunity that the executive branch now possesses going forward for any president. Is this truly in the best interest of the American people? Less accountability typically doesn’t have fantastic outcomes in our fragile culture.
Sources:
(2024, July 1). Nytimes.Com. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/01/us/politics/immunity-president-supreme-court.html
Reuters.Com. https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-due-rule-trumps-immunity-bid-blockbuster-case-2024-07-01/
House, T. W. (2024, July 1). Remarks by President Biden on the Supreme Court's Immunity Ruling. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/07/01/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-supreme-courts-immunity-ruling/
Wolf, Z. B. (2024, July 1). Analysis: The Supreme Court just gave presidents a superpower. Here’s its explanation. CNN Politics. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/01/politics/presidents-immunity-supreme-court-what-matters/index.html
(2024, July 2). https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/02/what-is-presidential-immunity-trump-supreme-court/
Waldman, M. (2024, June 11). Supreme Court’s Radical Immunity Ruling Shields Lawbreaking Presidents and Undermines Democracy. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/supreme-courts-radical-immunity-ruling-shields-lawbreaking-presidents-and
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