US Supreme Court Rules Ex-Presidents Have Broad Immunity

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Read Engoo Daily News articles with Engoo tutors

July 04, 2024

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Exercise 1

Vocabulary

Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.

immunity

Noun

ɪˈmjuːnəti

protection or exemption from a law, obligation, etc.

Diplomatic agents are granted a number of privileges, including immunity from arrest or prosecution.

precedent

Noun

ˈprɛsɪdənt

an earlier event that is considered as an example or guide for similar future events; (in law) a previous legal decision that may or must be followed in similar future cases

Before COVID-19, governments had very little precedent for how to deal with a pandemic.

In 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education case set a precedent for the desegregation of schools in the US.

undermine

Verb

ˌʌndərˈmaɪn

to reduce the power, authority, etc. of someone or something

The 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal undermined public trust in Facebook's data management.

dissent

Noun

dɪˈsent

a statement by a judge that explains why they disagree with a decision made by the other judges in a court case

In his dissent, the judge wrote that freedom of speech protections should not extend to indecent language.

treasonous

Adjective

ˈtriːzənəs

involving the crime of betraying one's country

Guy Fawkes was executed in 1606 for his treasonous attempt to blow up the British Parliament.

make a mockery of

Phrase

meɪk ə mɑːkəri əv

to make something seem silly or foolish

In my opinion, the non-guilty verdict has made a mockery of the justice system.

Exercise 2

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

US Supreme Court Rules Ex-Presidents Have Broad Immunity

The Supreme Court on July 1 ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution.

The ruling extends the delay in the Washington criminal case against Donald Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss and all but ends prospects the former president could be tried before the November election.

In a historic 6-3 ruling, the court's conservative majority, which includes three justices appointed by Trump, narrowed the case against him and returned it to the trial court to determine what is left of the charges against him.

Trump celebrated a "BIG WIN" on X. President Joe Biden said the justices set "a dangerous precedent [that] undermines the rule of this nation."

"We conclude that under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of presidential power requires that a former president have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts" during his time in office, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.

However, the ruling states that there is no immunity for unofficial acts.

The chief justice insisted that the president "is not above the law." But in a dissent for the court's three liberals, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, "In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."

Reading from her opinion in the courtroom, Sotomayor said, "Because our Constitution does not shield a former president from answering for criminal and treasonous acts, I dissent."

Sotomayor said the decision "makes a mockery of the principle, foundational to our Constitution and system of government, that no man is above the law."

The protection afforded presidents by the court, she said, "is just as bad as it sounds, and it is baseless."

Trump posted in all capital letters on his social media network shortly after the decision was released: "BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!"

Biden, speaking from the White House said that "for all practical purposes, today's decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do."