No Quick-Fix for Trump’s Immunity: Supreme Court Refuses Expedited Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court will not be expediting the ruling on President Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution, in a significant victory for state officials who argue that Trump may not be immunized from Manhattan’s criminal investigation. The announcement, made Monday morning, comes after the Manhattan District Attorney and Trump’s lawyers went to the nation’s high court in recent weeks asking it to resolve the issue fast. Trump wants to block a district attorney’s attempts to obtain his tax records as part of an investigation into hush-money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The Supreme Court said it will not immediately hear the case, though it did not go so far as to reject Trump’s claim of immunity. The ruling means that the lower courts will have to decide the issue on their own, and may take some time before a ruling is handed down. The lack of an immediate ruling from the Supreme Court will also mean that the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into Trump’s hush-money payments will likely continue in the meantime. The court’s decision arrives as a major blow to Trump, who had argued that a president should not be subject to criminal proceedings, even when the inquiry was related to a personal matter. His lawyers argued that the case should be resolved immediately, as it was a matter of national importance. However, now with the Supreme Court deciding that the issue should be left to the lower court, Trump’s claim is likely to face a drawn-out legal battle that could potentially last for years. Still, the long fight may not necessarily be a total loss for the president, as the Supreme Court could still reverse its decision and agree to review the case whenever the lower court ruling is issued. Trump and his legal team may choose to wait and hope that the high court will decide to step in and ultimately come to his aid. Until then, Trump’s lawyers can continue to make their case in the lower court, and the Manhattan district attorney’s office can press forward its investigation. Whether either side will be successful in the end remains to be seen. The U.S. Supreme Court will not be expediting the ruling on President Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution, in a significant victory for state officials who argue that Trump may not be immunized from Manhattan’s criminal investigation. The announcement, made Monday morning, comes after the Manhattan District Attorney and Trump’s lawyers went to the nation’s high court in recent weeks asking it to resolve the issue fast. Trump wants to block a district attorney’s attempts to obtain his tax records as part of an investigation into hush-money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The Supreme Court said it will not immediately hear the case, though it did not go so far as to reject Trump’s claim of immunity. The ruling means that the lower courts will have to decide the issue on their own, and may take some time before a ruling is handed down. The lack of an immediate ruling from the Supreme Court will also mean that the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into Trump’s hush-money payments will likely continue in the meantime. The court’s decision arrives as a major blow to Trump, who had argued that a president should not be subject to criminal proceedings, even when the inquiry was related to a personal matter. His lawyers argued that the case should be resolved immediately, as it was a matter of national importance. However, now with the Supreme Court deciding that the issue should be left to the lower court, Trump’s claim is likely to face a drawn-out legal battle that could potentially last for years. Still, the long fight may not necessarily be a total loss for the president, as the Supreme Court could still reverse its decision and agree to review the case whenever the lower court ruling is issued. Trump and his legal team may choose to wait and hope that the high court will decide to step in and ultimately come to his aid. Until then, Trump’s lawyers can continue to make their case in the lower court, and the Manhattan district attorney’s office can press forward its investigation. Whether either side will be successful in the end remains to be seen.