What D.C. court's rebuke of Trump's immunity claim means
By Harry Litman / For the Los Angeles Times
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ denial of Donald Trump’s immunity claim Tuesday was comprehensive and emphatic; so much so that it could put his election interference trial back on track to proceed ahead of the November election.
The opinion is per curiam, meaning all three judges on the panel joined it and none was singled out as the author. In this case, the form is purposeful: It communicates a unanimity of purpose and a sense of import. As the opinion says, “The question of whether a former President enjoys absolute immunity from federal criminal liability is one of first impression.”
It may also be why the ruling took longer than many expected: Every word had to be carefully crafted to the satisfaction of each judge.
The heart of the opinion is its forceful rejection of Trump’s appeal on the ground that his outlandish position would violate basic separation-of-powers principles. “At bottom,” the court notes memorably, “former President Trump’s stance would collapse our system of separated powers by placing the President beyond the reach of all three Branches.”
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-what-d-c-courts-rebuke-of-trumps-immunity-claim-means/