(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Supreme Court’s decision affirming President Donald Trump’s immunity from prosecution has been remanded to the lower courts for further proceedings. The justices also ordered the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to pay Trump thousands in expenses.
The high court ordered Trump to recover $3,232.80 in expenses accumulated during his appeal after it vacated the appeals court’s decision to reject Trump’s immunity defense in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 case.
The restitution includes $2,932.80 for the “printing of joint appendix” and $300 as a “clerk’s fee.” The filing, signed by Supreme Court Clerk Scott S. Harris, was first reported by journalist Julie Kelly on Friday.
In a tweet sharing a screenshot of the filing, Kelly wrote, “Both the DC circuit opinion and Judge Chutkan’s order denying presidential immunity from prosecution vacated. And Pres Trump gets some money back.”
IT IS OFFICIAL
SCOTUS ruling in Trump v US sent back to DC appellate court. Both the DC circuit opinion and Judge Chutkan's order denying presidential immunity from prosecution vacated.
And Pres Trump gets some money back lol pic.twitter.com/XIZCwiMUpG
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) August 2, 2024
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled last month that sitting presidents enjoy immunity from prosecution for acts carried out while in office, shutting down Smith’s and the DOJ’s claims to the contrary.
The decision directly impacted the four criminal counts filed by Smith against Trump over alleged conspiracies to “defraud” the U.S. and “obstruct” an official proceeding, specifically the certification of the 2020 election.
Trump had long argued that his actions post-2020 election were part of his official duties as sitting president. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presides over the case, and the appeals court in D.C. rejected Trump’s defense, prompting intervention from the Supreme Court.
The appeals court quickly sent the case back to Chutkan on Thursday. “It is ordered, on the court’s own motion, that this case be remanded to the District Court for further proceedings consistent with the Supreme Court’s opinion,” the D.C. Circuit stated, according to a screenshot of the order shared by Kelly.
As expected, DC appellate panel kicks immunity question back to Judge Chutkan.
Should see a status hearing scheduled soon. pic.twitter.com/YvDz1udm9u
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) August 2, 2024
Chutkan will now have to review Smith’s evidence against Trump and determine which parts, if not all, of the criminal counts constitute part of Trump’s official duties.
The case began after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith, a notoriously aggressive former prosecutor, to investigate Trump on Jan. 6 and a dispute with the National Archives over documents.
The documents case was dismissed by District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith’s appointment violated the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
