If accepted, the case will be the first time the high court has a say in one of Trump’s quartet of indictments.

The Supreme Court almost immediately granted Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Monday request for expedited consideration—a highly unusual rapid response that highlights the historic nature of the case.

Smith wants the court to weigh in on the question of whether former president Donald Trump has absolute presidential immunity for crimes he’s accused of carrying out while in the White House.

In its response, the high court ordered Trump’s attorneys to file a reply to Smith’s petition by next Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. ET.

The Supreme Court’s Monday decision does not mean it will take up the case—it simply means the nine-judge panel will make that decision on a much faster timeline than it normally would.

    • mrbubblesort@kbin.social
      8·
      11 months ago

      I do in this case because Roberts has shown us before that he cares about his legacy. And if he were to (potentially) hand Trump the keys to the kingdom, he’d have to deal with whatever backlash Biden or congress give him first.

      • restingboredface@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        4·
        11 months ago

        Let’s be honest, congress has been a group of self-serving ancients who would rather dig their heads in the sand than actually govern. I don’t know that congress would step up here even in this case.

        I do think that Biden would be forced to directly deal with the court and then that would create a constitutional crisis kind of mess that will make 2024 even more awful that it’s already looking to be.

        Hopefully Roberts understands that.

        • HandBreadedTools@lemmy.worldEnglish
          5·
          11 months ago

          As the previous commenter said, Roberts has demonstrated many times that he cares about the fact that this court will go down in history as the Roberts court, and that it will forever be remembered for Dobbs. He has attempted over and over again to earn back that status of legitimacy, from issuing the first ever code of ethics to rejecting a challenge to the ban on gay conversion therapy.

          I do not like SCOTUS at all, I think they’re a bunch of lying motherfuckers right now, but I also think Roberts recognizes the court is still on razor thin ice with the public because of Dobbs. I think they will not save Trump, especially since Trump has nothing to offer them in exchange.

          • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
            2·
            11 months ago

            Two of them literally owe Trump their seats on the court. Clarence Thomas and his wife were part of the team trying to help Trump overthrow the election.

            • HandBreadedTools@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              11 months ago

              They owe him their seat? Nah. That’s not how it works. In a metaphorical sense, sure, you could make that assumption, but the reality is that he literally can do nothing for them. Even if he wins 2024, he can do nothing to benefit them directly, especially not anything that any president couldn’t already do.