President Donald Trump has won a significant legal victory as the United States Supreme Court has ruled in favor of his claim of presidential immunity. The court’s 6-3 decision supports Trump’s argument that he is immune from prosecution for “official acts” while serving as president. The ruling sends the case back to a lower court and effectively ends Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case against the former president.

The case pertains to the demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, during which Trump was still in office as president. His legal team contends that he should be immune from prosecution since he was serving as president at the time in question.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who filed the charges in August of the previous year, has objected to presidential immunity from prosecution on the grounds of principle. Smith maintains that nobody is exempt from the law, despite the constitutional concerns and the impact on all former presidents. The trial was originally set to commence on March 4th.

Nevertheless, the case has been postponed due to the immunity matter. It is unlikely that the case will go to trial before the November election, as the Democrats had anticipated. Trump has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion:

“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 tenure in office.

“At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute.

“As for his remaining official actions, he is also entitled to immunity.

“At the current stage of proceedings in this case, however, we need not and do not decide whether that immunity must be absolute, or instead whether a presumptive immunity is sufficient …

“The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official.

“The President is not above the law.

“But Congress may not criminalize the President’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution.

“And the system of separated powers designed by the Framers has always demanded an energetic, independent Executive.

“The President therefore may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled, at a minimum, to a presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts.

“That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party.”