The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Donald Trump enjoys a form of criminal immunity as a former president, in a decision that is likely to lead to the postponement of his trial on charges of trying to change the outcome of the 2020 elections.
The decision, which was split six to three along ideological lines, comes four months before the election in which Republican candidate Trump will face Democratic Vice President Joe Biden.
The landmark case was the last for the court in its current session and could have far-reaching implications for the executive branch and the race for the White House.
Writing for the majority, conservative Chief Justice John Roberts said that no president is "above the law" but enjoys "absolute immunity" from prosecution for official acts committed while in office.
He explained that "the President therefore cannot be prosecuted for exercising his fundamental constitutional powers and is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all of his official acts.
He added, "As to unofficial acts, there is no immunity," and remanded the case to a lower court to determine which charges the former president faces relate to official or unofficial conduct.
A U.S. District Court will now hold what is expected to be a lengthy series of pre-trial hearings, making it highly unlikely that a trial will take place before the November elections.
Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, which is the meeting of Congress on January 6, 2021, which was held to certify Biden's victory in the election.
He was also charged with conspiring to deprive Americans of the right to vote and have their votes counted.
The remaining three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor saying, "Never in the history of our country has a president been justified in believing that he would enjoy criminal immunity if he used his office to violate the criminal law.
She added, "I dissent out of fear for our democracy." She continued, "In every abuse of official power, the president has now become a king above the law.
She continued, "If Team 6 in the Navy orders the assassination of a political opponent, does he enjoy immunity? Organizes a military coup to cling to power? Does he get immunity? Accepts a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Does he enjoy immunity after immunity?"
Trump, in turn, hailed the decision, saying on his social media network "Truth Social," "It's a great victory for our democracy and our Constitution."
As for Biden's campaign team, it believed that Trump "believes he is above the law and is willing to do anything to gain power and stay in it." He added, referring to Trump's supporters storming the Capitol, "Donald Trump lost his mind after losing the 2020 election and encouraged a gang to overturn the results."
Trump's election trial was scheduled for March 4.
But the Supreme Court, which is dominated by conservative justices, three of whom were appointed by Trump while he was in office, agreed in February to hear his arguments about presidential immunity, freezing the case while the court considers them in April.
Trump, who is facing four criminal cases, is doing everything in his power to delay the trials until at least after the elections.
Trump would be the first former US president to be convicted of a crime. He will be sentenced on July 11.
By filing a series of pretrial briefs, Trump's lawyers were able to delay the three other trials related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to keep top-secret documents in his Florida home.
If re-elected, Donald Trump will be able to order the end of the federal cases against him immediately after his inauguration in January 2025.
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