In February 2024, the ex-President of the United States, Donald Trump, is seeking to appeal a lower court decision that denied him immunity from prosecution. His claim is in connection to a case concerning interference in the election. Three lower court judges ruled that Trump can be prosecuted like any other citizen, stating that the trial should not be delayed due to an election campaign. The Supreme Court now has authority to decide if the ruling should be put on hold to give Trump the opportunity to appeal. If the Supreme Court declines this request, Mr Trump will face a federal trial for his alleged offenses. These charges add to others that could affect his aspirations for the 2024 election. Trump’s legal team seeks to delay these trials until after the election, in a bid to maintain presidential immunity from prosecution.
If the Supreme Court agrees to put the lower court’s ruling on hold, it could lead to a significant delay in the criminal case against Trump until after the November election. Subsequently, Trump’s legal team could also request that the ruling is held until Trump files a formal appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has various options in responding to Trump’s request, including resuming the federal trial, denying Trump’s request for a review, immediately hearing Trump’s appeal, or simply delaying a trial in the case well past November’s election date. The Supreme Court previously denied a request last year to expedite a ruling on Trump’s immunity argument, and it is unclear when a ruling will be made on his most recent request.