We have breaking news. The DC Court of Appeals has
ruled unanimously that former President Trump is not immune from
criminal prosecution.
In the federal election interference case,
the former president's attorneys argued that prosecuting a former president
would open a Pandora's Box from which the nation may
never recover,
claiming former presidents could be charged for acts like authorizing
drone strikes aboard abroad.
Rather, the court disagreed. Let's bring in senior reporter Catherine
Falters for more.
Catherine, how significant is this ruling?
It's extremely significant because it's a unanimous ruling.
It essentially says that former President Trump isn't immune from
prosecution,
what his lawyers argued. Now in terms of the next
steps here,
his lawyers are likely to appeal this to the full
circuit and then maybe ultimately the Supreme Court.
Trump has vowed to do such a thing,
depending on the circus decision.
But I want to read you a few lines.
It's a long opinion, it's a long ruling,
but it essentially says what the ruling writes.
I'm quoting from it. We cannot accept that the office
of the presidency places it's former occupants above the law
for all time thereafter.
It goes on to say there is no functional justification
for immunizing former presidents from federal prosecution in general or
for immunizing former President Trump from the specific charges in
this indictment. Now this is significant because we've been talking
a lot about these trials,
Diane. We know that they're obviously that federal trial down
in Florida that's probably going to get postponed.
The judge here who's overseeing this,
the District Judge in Washington DC,
took this matter off of her docket.
This trial was scheduled to start in March,
March 4th. We were waiting on the appeals process to
play out.
We didn't know when they would ultimately rule.
It had been some time here,
so no ruling was setting this trial up for potentially
not happening before the election.
But now that we've heard from the appeals court,
and we'll wait to see if that stay on this
case is lifted,
Of course Trump's lawyers will appeal this further.
But it is a very big ruling that Trump is
not immune from criminal prosecution for acts as President
Catherine particularly with this case playing out during election season.
What does this do for the timeline of the case
and how long could it take before it reaches the
Supreme Court if it does get there?
It's a good question. And and Trump's lawyers a part
of their strategy as you know has been to delay.
So they will appeal this most likely to the full
Circuit Court that will take some time.
The full circuit will either decide to take it up
or reject it.
They've rejected previous attempts by Trump on on various different
matters and then Trump's team could then appeal this to
the Supreme Court Court.
Now there's a bit of a waiting period.
We don't know exactly when that will happen.
We don't know if they will skip over that circuit
process and go directly to the Supreme Court to see
if the Supreme Court will take it up.
But again, a lot of this obviously hinges on their
decision making internally.
But what this ruling does is it sets up the
wheels to
start going back in motion,
if you will, on this trial That of course was
scheduled for March 4th is probably going to get pushed.
Probably not going to happen then.
The judge has said as much,
but at least it puts maybe back on the calendar,
potentially before the election.