(NationRise.com) – A federal appeals court said on February 6 that former president and presidential candidate Donald Trump isn’t immune from prosecution for the alleged crimes he committed as a commander-in-chief to reverse the 2020 election results. The court wrote that Trump became “citizen Trump,” with the defenses of a regular criminal defendant, for the purpose “of this criminal case.”
The ruling from the panel was unanimous. The judges who issued the verdict were Karen LeCraft Henderson, who was appointed by former president George HW Bush, and Florence Pan and J. Michelle Childs, who were appointed by President Joe Biden.
In a statement, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said to expect an appeal. He stated that while the former president “respectfully disagrees” with the decision of the “DC Circuit,” he will appeal it to “safeguard” the United States Constitution and the presidency.
According to media reports, the court formally gave the Republican leader until February 12 to file an emergency stay request with the US Supreme Court, which would halt the process so his lawyers could craft a better appeal on the merits. Legal experts said that if Trump is successful, his trial won’t start again until after the Supreme Court decides what decision to make on his request for a pause.
The judges even rejected the former commander-in-chief’s claim that his indictment could have a “chilling effect” on future US presidents. His legal team had argued that if the following executives think they could be indicted for some “official acts” they can commit as presidents, they won’t be able to act freely within their role. However, the judges wrote that previous US presidents fully understood themselves to be subject not only to criminal liability but also to impeachment under “certain circumstances.”
So far, President Biden’s re-election campaign and the White House haven’t delivered any comment about the court’s decision. Numerous polls have revealed that Trump would beat the Democratic leader in a presidential election rematch.
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