# DC Court of Appeals rules against Trump Immunity, SCOTUS Makes a Different Decision **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [February 6, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188 "2024-02-06T15:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/241 "2024-02-29T01:59:18Z")
So, treason but the prosecutors decided to take an easier route. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/242 "2024-02-29T02:04:42Z")
No. Treason is an actual crime with a real legal definition, not just an insult. He didn’t commit treason any more than he committed aggravated murder. He’s done plenty of **actual** crimes without having to make things up. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/243 "2024-02-29T02:06:01Z")
Moderating: > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > So, treason but the prosecutors decided to take an easier route. > [@Atamasama](#): > > No. Treason is an actual crime with a real legal definition, not just an insult. He didn’t commit treason any more than he committed aggravated murder. He’s done plenty of **actual** crimes without having to make things up. - Let’s take this argument up in a different thread. It’s a hijack to this one. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/244 "2024-02-29T02:06:15Z")
\<\< deleted by poster \>\> ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/245 "2024-02-29T02:06:58Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Let’s take this argument up in a different thread. It’s a hijack to this one. Thanks. Fair enough, I agree, and sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/246 "2024-02-29T02:18:48Z")
I understand. It was an organic outgrowth of the discussion, but it had ‘hijack’ written all over it. Thanks for your kind understanding. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/247 "2024-02-29T03:16:34Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > The story just broke, and details are still coming in, but it looks like it will cause a delay. Rather than things getting going in March, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments the week of April 22 So what does this mean for the trial date. Assuming (unfortunately not a given with the current SCOTUS) it is is resolved quickly against Trump. Does the 88 day delay for discovery remain until then? So if we are talking a SCOTUS ruling in the June, the trial starts in September and risks no verdict before the election. Or will (as some commentators say) the 88 day clock start running before then, so the trial can start soon after the SCOTUS ruling? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/248 "2024-02-29T03:45:36Z")
I do not know but, the Supreme Court usually releases opinions in late June or early July. The Republican national convention is mid-July (which, unless something big changes, Trump will walk away with the nomination). That the SCOTUS took this case seems dubious and an attempt to delay. I can imagine them saying you cannot prosecute a presidential candidate. You have to wait cuz democracy. I hope I am wrong. ETA: And, of course, it means voters are less likely to consider if Trump will be in jail until it is too late. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/249 "2024-02-29T04:27:33Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > the SCOTUS took this case seems dubious and an attempt to delay. I can imagine them saying you cannot prosecute a presidential candidate. You have to wait cuz Thats definitely a possibility, with this SCOTUS. But if they had the votes for that it would be less controversial to just to take the case but refuse to expedite it so it wasn’t heard this year. I still think the likely outcome is a relatively speedy ruling against Trump . But if that 88 days has to run down, that could be enough to avoid a conviction by election day. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/250 "2024-02-29T05:01:46Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > In short, yep, Donnie got himself another delay. > [@griffin1977](#): > > Well that sucks. Turns out appointing 33% of the SCOTUS is a pretty good way of getting away with treason. So SCOTUS has forevermore defined themselves as politicians with all the lip-curled sneering that pejorative deserves. There is not one iota of precedence to support Trump’s immunity claim after or even while he was in office. All they are buying him is time, the same as Cannon. My regard for the judiciary has taken a nosedive. Democrats this election cycle really need to hammer _Is this what you want to see in your judges? 'Cause this is what you get in your judges when Republicans are in power._ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/251 "2024-02-29T06:22:01Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Democrats this election cycle really need to hammer _Is this what you want to see in your judges? 'Cause this is what you get in your judges when Republicans are in power._ And the Republicans are saying "This is exactly what we want to see in our judges! " ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/252 "2024-02-29T08:22:12Z")
They’re gonna say that anyway. No matter what the Ds say or do, they’ll never vote for them. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/253 "2024-02-29T08:52:05Z")
The “they” I worry about are those fucking fence sitters looking for the winning team to join after the fact. I don’t think pointing out that this particular strategy works will help out the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/254 "2024-02-29T14:53:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And the Republicans are saying "This is exactly what we want to see in our judges! " I was going to say the exact thing. This is what they want. Look who they voted for. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/255 "2024-02-29T16:43:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And the Republicans are saying "This is exactly what we want to see in our judges! " Yeah the evangelical right has abandoned every single Christian principle (like literally you could open the pretty much every page of the bible and read something admonishing something Trump does, he is objectively the least Christian president by quite a stretch) to vote for Trump, just to get to Amy Barrett on the SCOTUS. ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/256 "2024-02-29T16:51:34Z")
I read this quote in The Bulwark this morning. Some food for thought. I’m trying to decide if it makes me feel better or worse about the state of the union at this point in history. > Judge Learned Hand said in his great 1944 Spirit of Liberty speech, > > > I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. How much liberty lies in the hearts of the majority of citizens today? ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/257 "2024-02-29T17:07:59Z")
That’s a wonderful quote. In 2020 election, there was enough liberty in the hearts of (voting) citizens. Hard to imagine enough people wanting to go back to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/258 "2024-02-29T17:50:53Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > How much liberty lies in the hearts of the majority of citizens today? Plenty. Remember the MAGAts never represented more than a minority of Americans. My take away is the opposite. It turns out the US system of government didn’t rely enough on checks and balances that were written down in the form of laws and constitutions. There was far too much resting on the fact people would do the right thing and not disregard the conventions and taboos about how things work. Trump and the GOP have been blatantly disregarding them left and right, and have not faced the slightest repercussions except from some strongly worded editorials. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/259 "2024-02-29T17:55:07Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > have not faced the slightest repercussions But they’re squirming! It’s getting closer, and I for one still have faith that those bastards won’t escape entirely. I voted in the Primary today. I voted against MAGA, and I gleefully voted against TED CRUZ! As I exited the voting place I exclaimed, “Go Blue!” ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188/260 "2024-02-29T18:06:46Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > But they’re squirming! It’s getting closer, and I for one still have faith that those bastards won’t escape entirely Well their squirming as, because they are incompetent as well as evil, they blatantly broke the written down laws not just the unwritten ones. The only thing that is keeping the US democratic republic hanging on by a thread is comical incompetence of the bastards who trying to destroy it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-court-of-appeals-rules-against-trump-immunity-scotus-makes-a-different-decision/997188.md?page=14)