Greene County Democrat

Tag: Democratic President Joe Biden

  • Newswire : ‘Citizen Trump’: Appeals Court says No Immunity in Jan. 6 case

    By Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams

    A three-judge panel from the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday unanimously ruled against former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of immunity in a criminal case stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss.
    “For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as president no longer protects him against this prosecution,” states the 57-page opinion.
    The panel included one judge appointed by former GOP President George H.W. Bush and two appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection this year. Trump is the Republican front-runner despite four ongoing criminal cases and arguments he is constitutionally disqualified from holding office again after engaging in insurrection on January 6, 2021.
    Welcoming the development, the watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington declared: “Donald Trump is not above prosecution. The law and the Constitution apply to him just like they apply to every other American. This is a major victory for our democracy and the rule of law.”
    The ruling aligns with the panel’s skepticism during arguments last month. When one judge had challenged the limits of immunity by asking Trump’s attorney whether a president could “order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival,” the lawyer responded that “he would have to be and would speedily be impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution.”
    The panel’s decision comes after Judge Tayna Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia—who rejected Trump’s immunity claim in December—last week postponed his election interference trial, which had been scheduled for March. Trump is expected to appeal Tuesday’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, whose right-wing supermajority includes three justices he appointed.
    The mandate from the appellate court opinion denying Trump immunity “issues in six days on February 12,” noted Los Angeles Times senior legal affairs columnist Harry Litman. “That’s very quick and puts him in a box having to find a stay before then,” from the full D.C. Circuit or the Supreme Court, or Chutkan can proceed with the trial.
    The high court in December rejected a request from Special Counsel Jack Smith—who is overseeing Trump’s two federal cases rather than the U.S. Justice Department because of the November election—that the justices skip over the appeals court to swiftly settle the immunity debate.

  • Newswire : MLB moving All-Star Game, Draft out of Georgia, amid outcry over voting law

    Baseball Stadium Major League Baseball (MLB)

    By: Thompson/Reuters

    Commissioner Robert Manfred said the league was relocating its 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft from Atlanta, following outcry over Georgia’s new voting restrictions. “I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft,” Manfred said in a written statement. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.” Georgia last week strengthened identification requirements for absentee ballots, shortened early voting periods for runoffs and made it a crime to offer food and water to voters waiting in line. The law, which was endorsed by the state’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp, faces legal challenges as civil rights groups say it aims to suppress voting among Black people and other racial minorities. Kemp in a statement insists that the new law “expands voting opportunities in Georgia”. Democratic President Joe Biden has been sharply critical of the law and on Wednesday said he would support moving the July All-Star Game out of the state as a form of protest, telling ESPN “This is Jim Crow on steroids what they’re doing in Georgia.” Commissioner Manfred said MLB made the decision after consulting with individual clubs as well as current and former players, adding the league was finalizing plans for a new host city. “Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support,” said Manfred, a day after the league kicked off its 2021 regular season. The Atlanta Braves issued a statement on Twitter saying the hometown organization was “deeply disappointed by the decision.” It stressed the move was neither its decision nor its recommendation, and it expressed sadness that “fans will not be able to see this event in our city.” The team added, though, that it would “continue to stress the importance of equal voting opportunities, and we had hoped our city could use this event as a platform to enhance the discussion.” “Unfortunately, businesses, employees, and fans in Georgia are the victims of this decision,” the Braves org said. The lucrative All-Star Game is a coveted hosting opportunity for ballparks across North America. At press time, MLB announced that the All Star Game would be held at Denver’s Mile High Stadium in Colorado.