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Trump immunity hearing: Tough questions as Supreme Court hears both sides - BBC News Trump immunity hearing: Tough questions as Supreme Court hears both sides - BBC News
(32 minutes later)
Justice Kavanaugh has expressed concern today that opening former presidents up to criminal prosecutions may open the floodgates for independent counsels to pursue charges "hampering" future presidents. Anthony Zurcher
Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, was once part of an independent counsel himself, assisting special counsel Ken Starr in the investigation into then-President Bill Clinton into his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. BBC North America correspondent
You can read more about Brett Kavanaugh here. At least a few justices – perhaps a majority – seem
unconvinced by the arguments of both Donald Trump’s lawyer and the ones made by
the lawyer for the prosecution team.
That could lead to a sharply fractured court – or it could
open the door for a middle-ground decision that grants former presidents some
immunity for official actions, while allowing prosecution for alleged crimes
that fall outside this realm.
If the court’s final ruling moves in this direction, the key
will be whether the justices allow Trump’s trial to move forward, leaving the
final determination up to a jury, or require the courts to hash out the specifics
of Trump’s case and possibility immunity before a trial begins.
If it’s the former, there’s still a chance that Trump’s
trial could take place before November’s presidential election.
If it’s the
latter, the case could continue to be bogged down in legal wrangling and
appeals for months, if not years, to come.
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