STORY: Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision that Donald Trump enjoyed "absolute immunity" from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while president, Trump's attorneys are seeking to void the former president's criminal conviction for paying hush money to a porn star.
In a landmark ruling on Monday, a 6-3 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court justices for first time ever ruled former presidents could not be prosecuted for any actions that were within their constitutional powers as president.
In May, Trump became the first former president convicted of a crime, when a Manhattan jury convicted him on 34 charges for illegally hiding hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels to buy her silence over what she says was a sexual affair with the former reality TV star.
Trump pleaded not guilty and has vowed to appeal his May 30 conviction.
And on Monday, in a letter to New York State judge Juan Merchan, Trump's lawyers argued "the trial result cannot stand," and asked to submit a full brief on the issue by July 10.
While the illegal coverup of payments occurred prior to his 2016 election victory, some of the evidence presented at trial came from after Trump was in the White House.
The Republican, who is seeking re-election, has also been charged by a special counsel with a wide-ranging illegal scheme to subvert the 2020 election results, including fueling the violent attack on the U.S. capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.
Monday's Supreme Court decision ordered a lower-court judge to determine which if any of the crimes alleged in the indictment could be considered 'unofficial acts,' not subject to immunity.
And it makes all but certain Trump won't face trial on those charges before the November election.
The decision's far-ranging implications have drawn criticism for potentially putting the president above the law.
Claire Woffard teaches political science at the College of Charleston.
"Well, if you have a president who is able to take all kinds of actions that a citizen or another member of the government would not be able to take, and there's no criminal accountability, to me that's not the same separation of chain of powers democratic system that we have now. You're veering more, in at least the potential, for an authoritarian or dictatorial regime, which is, of course, what many people are afraid Donald Trump will do."
U.S. Democratic President Joe Biden on Monday blasted the Supreme Court decision.
"So now, now the American people have to do what the courts should have been willing to do, but would not. The American people have to render a judgment about Donald Trump's behavior."
A court filing showed the Manhattan prosecutor who brought the criminal case against Trump said on Tuesday his office would not be opposed to delaying his July 11 sentencing date.
