{"id":2288298,"date":"2024-07-02T20:49:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T00:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-immunity-ruling-could-shatter-georgia-rico-case-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-02T20:50:41","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T00:50:41","slug":"trump-immunity-ruling-could-shatter-georgia-rico-case-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-immunity-ruling-could-shatter-georgia-rico-case-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump immunity ruling could shatter Georgia RICO case &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-immunity-ruling-could-shatter-georgia-rico-case-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2288298&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article\u2064 discusses how the \u200cSupreme Court \u200cruling on \u200cpresidential \u200bimmunity \u200bcould impact former \u200cPresident Donald Trump&#8217;s criminal cases in Washington, D.C.,\u2064 and Georgia. The ruling requires a judge to determine which of Trump&#8217;s official acts are immune from prosecution, affecting the strength of the cases against him. The Georgia case, in particular,\u200d alleges violations of \u2063racketeering laws \u2062related to the\u200d 2020 election. The article \u200chighlights \u200bthe potential challenges in addressing immunity\u200c in the Georgia\u200b case, \u200dincluding appeals and jurisdiction issues. Legal\u200b experts suggest that the ruling could also affect\u200c Trump&#8217;s co-defendants,\u2062 potentially offering relief to some. The article emphasizes the complexity and uncertainty\u200d surrounding the implications of\u200c the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision on Trump&#8217;s legal battles.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">\n<div class=\"tdb-search-form-inner\"><input class=\"tdb-head-search-form-input\" placeholder=\" \" type=\"text\" value name=\"s\" autocomplete=\"off\"><button class=\"wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn tdb-head-search-form-btn\" title=\"Search\" type=\"submit\"><span>Search<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump immunity ruling could shatter Georgia RICO case<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> <a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/ashley-oliver\/\">Ashley Oliver<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-07-02T19:54:13-04:00\">July 2, 2024 7:54 pm<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1693691\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Supreme Court<\/a>\u2018s ruling this week that presidents have some immunity from criminal prosecution came in response to arguments <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a> made about his case in Washington, D.C., but the decision could also dramatically affect the former president\u2019s case in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Georgia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amy-coney-barretts-1st-opinion-for-scotus-gets-no-respect-from-leading-liberal-justice\/\" title=\"Amy Coney Barrett\u2019s 1st Opinion For SCOTUS Gets No \u2018Respect\u2019 From Leading Liberal Justice\">high court ruled<\/a> that a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/government-unions-have-been-stealing-money-for-years-now-scotus-has-the-chance-to-intervene\/\" title=\"Government Unions Have Been Stealing Money For Years \u2014 Now, SCOTUS Has The Chance To Intervene\">lower court judge<\/a> will have to sift through Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-co-defendant-pleads-guilty-and-agrees-to-testify-in-georgia-election-interference-case\/\" title=\"Trump&#039;s co-defendant pleads guilty and will testify in Georgia election interference case.\">federal election interference indictment<\/a> to determine which acts are official and private. Judge Tanya Chutkan will then have to decide which of Trump\u2019s official acts are absolutely immune from prosecution and which are only presumptively immune. A judge in Georgia may soon have to do the same.<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear how this tedious process, which legal experts say could evolve into a mini-trial of its own over the next few months, will affect Trump\u2019s four charges in Washington, but the Supreme Court provided guidelines that suggest Smith\u2019s case will be significantly weaker once immunized acts are excised from it.<\/p>\n<p>Of Trump\u2019s four criminal cases, the one in Georgia is the most similar to the one in Washington. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis alleged Trump and 19 co-defendants violated the state\u2019s racketeering laws by attempting to overturn the 2020 election illegally in a battleground state that Trump narrowly lost.<\/p>\n<p>Willis\u2019s sweeping indictment featured dozens of acts that, when looked at as a whole, result in an alleged violation of Georgia\u2019s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The acts included Trump having phone calls or meetings with state lawmakers, posting false statements on his X account about the election while he was still president, and communicating with officials in his Department of Justice.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court outlined in its guidance that a president\u2019s communication with the DOJ is a core function of the office and must always be immune from prosecution. Other acts, such as a president\u2019s communication with state officials or his public statements, could be immune from prosecution, but a lower court judge must decide that under the Supreme Court\u2019s new framework.<\/p>\n<p>As with special counsel Jack Smith\u2019s charges, the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling threatens to imperil Willis\u2019s indictment depending on what the judge in Georgia determines are official acts.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike in Washington, where prosecutors and Chutkan can quickly forge ahead to address immunity in the case, the Georgia case has another layer of problems.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Scott McAfee, the Fulton County Superior Court judge presiding over Trump\u2019s case, ruled earlier this year that Willis was not disqualified from the case after Trump and his co-defendants argued a relationship she had with a prosecutor created an irreversible conflict of interest.<\/p>\n<p>Trump appealed McAfee\u2019s decision, and now the Georgia Court of Appeals has taken the judge\u2019s decision under review.<\/p>\n<p>Trump also requested several months ago that his case in Georgia be dismissed because of presidential immunity, and McAfee said he would wait until the Supreme Court issued its decision before he addressed Trump\u2019s request.<\/p>\n<p>Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, a Georgia-based lawyer who specializes in elections, noted that the Georgia appellate court likely will not address Trump\u2019s appeal about disqualification until the first quarter of 2025, meaning McAfee currently does not have jurisdiction over the case to make decisions about immunity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is very unlikely that the trial court will even have jurisdiction to rule on this motion or to have its own mini-trial prior to the election,\u201d Lawrence-Hardy said Monday on a call with reporters.<\/p>\n<p>She observed, however, that Trump\u2019s immunity argument to the Supreme Court \u201cvery closely tracks the briefing in this case,\u201d suggesting the case will undergo the same mini-trial exercise as the one that is anticipated in Washington.<\/p>\n<p>It is also unclear how the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling will affect Trump\u2019s co-defendants. It could have zero impact on some, but others, such as former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark and former chief of staff Mark Meadows, may see some relief because their actions involving Trump could be protected by presidential immunity now.<\/p>\n<p>Anthony Michael Kreis, a Georgia State University law professor, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AnthonyMKreis\/status\/1808231250941169675\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> in a post on X that it is unlikely that Clark would be able to face charges in the same case as Trump because evidence against Clark that involves Trump is now protected by immunity and cannot be included in Trump\u2019s case.<\/p>\n<p>Kreis said the court\u2019s decision complicates trying Meadows but does not rule it out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a consequence, it\u2019s rather unlikely that Jeff Clark will ever be tried alongside Donald Trump at the same time,\u201d Kreis wrote. \u201cThe Meadows issue will be considerably more complex.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>The cases in Washington and in Georgia appear poised to stretch for several months or longer, but if Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, were to win the election, he could attempt to use his pardon power to toss his federal case out.<\/p>\n<p>While the Georgia case is stalled indefinitely and may be drastically diminished once immunity questions are sorted out, Trump would be unable to pardon himself there.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1693691\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1693691\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity could have a significant impact on Donald Trump&#8217;s legal case in Georgia, similar to the one in Washington, D.C. The ruling requires a judge to determine which of Trump&#8217;s official acts are immune from prosecution, potentially weakening the case against him. The Georgia case, brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, alleges racketeering in connection to the 2020 election. The ruling may also affect Trump&#8217;s co-defendants, with some potentially receiving immunity. The legal proceedings in both cases are expected to be lengthy, but Trump&#8217;s ability to pardon himself in the federal case may complicate matters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":2288299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-23-May-2024-09-13-PM-6675-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4977,33510,3634],"class_list":["post-2288298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-georgia","tag-immunity-ruling","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-23-May-2024-09-13-PM-6675-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2288298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2288298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2288298\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2288299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2288298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2288298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2288298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}