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Supreme Court Justice 'Fears for Our Democracy' After Donald Trump Immunity Decision
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The Supreme Court declared Donald Trump had "absolute immunity" from prosecution for any "official" act committed during his presidency in a 6-3 decision. Unofficial acts were not protected.
On Monday, July 3, a statement was released from Justice Sonia Sotomayor voicing her "dissent" and "fear" for democracy regarding the bombshell ruling.
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Justice Sonia Sotomayor voiced her dissent for Donald Trump receiving absolute immunity.
"When [a president] uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution," she wrote at the time. "Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune."
"In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law," she added.
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Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested a president would now be 'king above law.'
Sotomayer reiterated her belief that with full immunity, the president will now be able to blatantly exploit his position for "personal gain" or "evil ends."
"Never in the history of our Republic has a President had reason to believe that he would be immune from criminal prosecution if he used the trappings of his office to violate the criminal law," she continued. "Moving forward, however, all former Presidents will be cloaked in such immunity."
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Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business documents.
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"If the occupant of that office misuses official power for personal gain, the criminal law that the rest of us must abide will not provide a backstop. With fear for our democracy, I dissent," Sotomayer concluded.
Along with Sotomayer, liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson also dissented.
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Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson also dissented.
As OK! previously reported, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to declare that all of his legal woes may be over after the Supreme Court's ruling.
"Today’s Historic Decision by the Supreme Court should end all of Crooked Joe Biden’s Witch Hunts against me, including the New York Hoaxes — The Manhattan SCAM cooked up by Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, Racist New York Attorney General Tish James’ shameless ATTACK on the amazing business that I have built, and the FAKE Bergdorf’s 'case.' PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!" he wrote.
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Trump is the first former U.S. president to ever be criminally charged or found guilty for a felony. He was indicted four times in 2023 for falsifying business documents, allegedly mishandling classified files and for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election in both Washington, D.C. and Georgia.
Earlier this year, he was found guilty on 34 felony counts connected to a hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels to keep her from speaking out about an alleged sexual encounter that she claims occurred in 2006.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 11.