The U.S. Supreme Court gave former President Donald Trump a few thousand dollars on Friday when it officially handed down its presidential immunity judgment to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
On July 1, the Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that former presidents have immunity for official acts conducted while in office, but not for unofficial acts, vacating the previous ruling of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling was related to an argument by Trump in the federal election interference case against him.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused Trump of attempting to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory in events that led to the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, but the former president claims that he is immune from prosecution because he was in office when the alleged scheme took place. Trump claimed without evidence that the election was stolen from him due to widespread voter fraud. He has pleaded not guilty to all four felony charges against him and claims the case is politically motivated.
In a Friday filing, Supreme Court Clerk Scott Harris’ office gave notice that a certified copy of the Court’s July 1 ruling was emailed to the clerk of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Harris also wrote in the filing that Trump is given $3,232.80 total, $2,932.80 for the printing of court documents in the appeals process and $300 for the clerk’s fee.
Friday’s filing follows a July 1 filing from the Supreme Court that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals vacate their judgment in Trump’s case “with costs.”
Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, via email on Friday for comment.
In a separate filing on Friday, the D.C. Court of Appeals clerk, Mark Langer, ordered Trump’s case to be sent to the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., “for further proceedings consistent with the Supreme Court’s opinion.”
U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, originally set Trump’s trial start date for last March, but court proceedings were paused upon appeal.
Kyle Cheney, a senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, “The Supreme Court’s immunity ruling has now been sent back to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which could in turn unlock the case for Chutkan to resume proceedings.”
It’s official: The Supreme Court’s immunity ruling has now been sent back to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which could in turn unlock the case for Chutkan to resume proceedings. pic.twitter.com/I0YjTVdFzI
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 2, 2024
However, it’s unlikely that the trial will start before the 2024 presidential election in November, in which Trump is the GOP presidential nominee.
Former U.S. attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade told the hosts of The Weekend in early July that “it is not just the defendant, it is also the public that has a right to a speedy trial.”
“I think the more progress [DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith] can make before a [potential] president-elect Donald Trump goes into office, the more he can do at the other end. Certainly, the things that have been deemed official acts, such as Donald Trump’s interaction with the Justice Department are going to go by the wayside. Jack Smith has the option of amending the indictment,” she said.
McQuade continued: “You don’t have to go back to a grand jury to remove things from an indictment where they already found probable cause. So, he can pare this down to just those acts he believes are [un]official acts. Certainly, it will be litigated, but the public will have an opportunity to see what the unofficial acts were.”
Trump was indicted in August 2023 on 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.
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