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If the US Supreme Court would rule against Trump ...

Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:24 am
Posted by LSU Pappa
Louisiana
Member since Feb 2007
427 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:24 am
and hold his immunity while in office doesn't extend to him once out of office and thus he can be prosecuted for something he did while in office (i.e. the Jan. 6th bullshite), wouldn't this open up the door for any president to be potentially criminally prosecuted for something done in office once his presidency ends?

I just do not see how they could allow this.

In other words when Trump wins back the presidency couldn't a republican AG move to prosecute Biden for any action he did in office that would be deemed criminal? Such as failure of dereliction of duty to intentionally allowing the US to be invaded and contributing to all the terrible crimes committed by illegals?
Posted by momentoftruth87
Member since Oct 2013
71471 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:26 am to
How can you have immunity in office then be charged later? I’m not understanding your post
Posted by SlowFlowPro
Simple Solutions to Complex Probs
Member since Jan 2004
422585 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:28 am to
quote:

and hold his immunity while in office doesn't extend to him once out of office and thus he can be prosecuted for something he did while in office (i.e. the Jan. 6th bullshite), wouldn't this open up the door for any president to be potentially criminally prosecuted for something done in office once his presidency ends?

Not if the court rules he has immunity for official acts.

The question is if the USSC would make the determination that his conduct was an official act, or remand it back to the trial court to make this determination first prior to review.

I imagine since the case yesterday was clearly done in a way to be apolitical, which included violating the norms and protocols of appellate review, they would take a step forward to resolve the case in a way to remove any questions moving forward. However, since this case isn't as important, politically, as the one yesterday, it may not get this special treatment.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
Simple Solutions to Complex Probs
Member since Jan 2004
422585 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:28 am to
quote:

How can you have immunity in office then be charged later?

He's imagining a ruling where immunity only extends to your time in office and it does not exist out of office.

I doubt that they rule that.

They may rule ACTS out of office don't get the immunity, but that wouldn't fit in his hypos.
This post was edited on 3/5/24 at 8:29 am
Posted by TDsngumbo
Alpha Silverfox
Member since Oct 2011
41629 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:31 am to
Isn’t it a problem that presidents have any immunity at all?
Posted by LSU Pappa
Louisiana
Member since Feb 2007
427 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:34 am to
I have little knowledge regarding the precise parameters of the DC decision that was appealed to the USSC. I am only going by the various reports I have heard and read and many constitutional experts seem to think the odds of the USSC to render a decision favorable to Trump is bleak at best. Thus, I guess I need to find the opinion to educate myself to the exact issue being reviewed.
This post was edited on 3/5/24 at 8:35 am
Posted by Bayou
CenLA
Member since Feb 2005
36830 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:35 am to
The unrest in this country had it been ruled oppositely would dwarf Jan. 6th in a major way
Posted by SlowFlowPro
Simple Solutions to Complex Probs
Member since Jan 2004
422585 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:36 am to
quote:

the odds of the USSC to render a decision favorable to Trump is bleak at best.


The issue is trying to coral what he did into his official duties as President.

Without commenting on the merits of whether this activity is criminal, it's difficult to argue that promoting a political rally to support him is an official duty of the President.
Posted by idlewatcher
County Jail
Member since Jan 2012
79188 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:36 am to
quote:

Isn’t it a problem that presidents have any immunity at all?


Do you even lawfare bro?
Posted by loogaroo
Welsh
Member since Dec 2005
30713 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:43 am to
quote:

Without commenting on the merits of whether this activity is criminal, it's difficult to argue that promoting a political rally to support him is an official duty of the President.


What specifically are they alleging he did to interfere with a congressional proceeding?
Posted by philter
Member since Dec 2004
8966 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:45 am to
quote:

Isn’t it a problem that presidents have any immunity at all?



It would be impossible to govern if they didn't. Imagine 5,000 lawsuits being brought non-stop for 4 years because of decisions made by any president you don't like.

We know this would happen, because the president has immunity now and it's happening anyway.
Posted by tigerlion
Member since Jul 2009
767 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:48 am to
quote:

wouldn't this open up the door for any president to be potentially criminally prosecuted for something done in office once his presidency ends?


Keep in mind sometimes it’s just Different too. Different circumstances, Different rules (or lack thereof)
Posted by LSU Pappa
Louisiana
Member since Feb 2007
427 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:52 am to
Are you suggesting "ACTS in office" vs. "ACTS out of office" is actually holding the office vs. when you are no longer holding the office?

Or are you suggesting that there are things a president can do while being the president that can be "outside the official duties of office" to where presidential immunity doesn't apply?

I guess the correlation I am trying to make is like a "course and scope" argument. If one can make the argument that a sitting president did something outside the scope of his office (employment as president) then the immunity doesn't apply. This being in contrast to a president doing an action that is clearly within the scope of his office and thus is protected by the presidential immunity.

For instance (and this would never happen but I make this crazy hypothetical to make a point), if a sitting president were to sneak out of the white house one night and go rape or murder someone clearly he would be said to have committed a crime that had nothing to do with any official act of his office. Thus, one would argue that there is no immunity.

So is the Fed govt (Jack Smith) taking the position that Trump's actions that arguably caused or contributed to the Jan. 6th events were not "official actions of office" thus Trump should not have immunity for same?

Posted by loogaroo
Welsh
Member since Dec 2005
30713 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:54 am to
quote:

It would be impossible to govern if they didn't. Imagine 5,000 lawsuits being brought non-stop for 4 years because of decisions made by any president you don't like.

We know this would happen, because the president has immunity now and it's happening anyway.


This is why I don't think SCOTUS will attempt to narrow the scope. There are remedies already available to the congress. Our for fathers thought of this considering the tyranny of the British Crown.

Posted by momentoftruth87
Member since Oct 2013
71471 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:56 am to
Yeah I get that part. But he wouldn’t get arrested for crimes in office and afterwards he’s not going to break the law. That’s the confusing part because the immunity covers actions in office so no they can’t charge him afterwards that’s the point of immunity.
Posted by LSU Pappa
Louisiana
Member since Feb 2007
427 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 8:58 am to
Gotcha. Makes sense.

I do not think the mass media and the reports on the issue are very clear.

This argument would make more sense and to my knowledge the issue has never been raised in the courts.

Basically this is an argument b/w "Absolutely Immunity for any action regardless whether w/in the scope of office or not" vs. "Limited Immunity for only actions that fall within the scope of office".

Posted by SlowFlowPro
Simple Solutions to Complex Probs
Member since Jan 2004
422585 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 9:04 am to
quote:

Are you suggesting "ACTS in office" vs. "ACTS out of office" is actually holding the office vs. when you are no longer holding the office?

Uh, yeah.

quote:

Or are you suggesting that there are things a president can do while being the president that can be "outside the official duties of office" to where presidential immunity doesn't apply?

No.

quote:

So is the Fed govt (Jack Smith) taking the position that Trump's actions that arguably caused or contributed to the Jan. 6th events were not "official actions of office" thus Trump should not have immunity for same?

Correct. That is what they're arguing (and I believe the court is likely to base the ruling on).
Posted by SlowFlowPro
Simple Solutions to Complex Probs
Member since Jan 2004
422585 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 9:10 am to
quote:

That’s the confusing part because the immunity covers actions in office

That may entirely depend on the type of action undertaken while in office.

There are 2 spectrums:

1. In/out of office
2. Within/outside of official duties

Posted by fwtex
Member since Nov 2019
1953 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 9:15 am to
quote:

Not if the court rules he has immunity for official acts.



Define an official act? POTUS is a 24/7 job so how do you define what is a personal act vs. official act?
Posted by LSUGent
Member since Jun 2011
2025 posts
Posted on 3/5/24 at 9:45 am to
Obama ordered the killing of an American (suspected terrorist) extra judiciously. Why shouldn’t he be charged with murder if immunity is removed after leaving office?
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