In Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling, a fierce Sotomayor dissenting opinion
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision Monday to grant Donald Trump some immunity from criminal prosecution would make a president a “king above the law” in a scolding dissent.
Sotomayor issued her forceful dissent from the court’s conservative majority alongside Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. In her dissent, Jackson wrote that the ruling “breaks new and dangerous ground.” Chief Justice John Roberts accused the liberal judges of “fear mongering,” writing that their opinions “strike a tone of chilling doom” disproportionate to the court’s ruling.
The case, Trump v. United States, is the result of the former president’s appeal for absolute presidential immunity from prosecution for his actions while serving in the Oval Office. The court decided Trump has immunity for some of his conduct as president but that he can face criminal prosecution for unofficial actions, leaving lower courts to define what constitutes an “official” action.
The decision is seen as a political and legal win for the former president’s reelection campaign and is highly scrutinized in Sotomayor’s dissent.
“Today’s decision to grant former Presidents criminal immunity reshapes the institution of the Presidency,” Sotomayor wrote.
Read the full text of Sotomayor’s dissenting opinion below:
Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fiery Sotomayor dissent on Trump immunity: 'fear for our democracy'
