VOA慢速英语2024--US Supreme Court: Presidents Have Immunity for 'Official Acts'

US Supreme¹ Court: Presidents Have Immunity² for 'Official Acts'

The United States Supreme Court on Monday ruled that American presidents have "immunity" from prosecution³ over what the ruling calls "official acts."The ruling recognizes - for the first time ever - any form of presidential immunity from prosecution.

The decision was six to three. The ruling also declared that presidents do not have such immunity for “unofficial acts.”

The decision is critical to a criminal case against former President Donald Trump⁴ on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

The Supreme Court said the first step is “to distinguish his official from unofficial actions.” The ruling directs a lower court to reexamine whether the charges are related to official or unofficial presidential actions.

In a social media post, Trump cheered the ruling. It read: "BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!"Special Counsel Jack⁵ Smith’s office which oversees⁶ the case against Trump did not provide comment on the ruling.

The case against Trump

Smith’s office accuses Trump of four crimes: plotting to defraud⁷ the government, blocking an official meeting of Congress and plotting to do so, and threatening people’s right to vote.

The charging document called an indictment⁸, said the former president tried to get Justice Department officials to support his claims that widespread fraud had kept him from winning reelection. It said that Trump and others pressured state lawmakers to provide false results through false electors. It said Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to block or delay certification of Joe Biden’s victory as Congress considered the final vote count at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

In the months following the 2020 election, Trump lost several court cases in which he claimed he was cheated out of reelection to a second four-year term.

Before the Supreme Court, Trump claimed presidential, or executive, immunity for his actions. He said he acted to protect the integrity of the election. Trump’s lawyers argued that his actions sat “at the heart of” Trump’s “official responsibilities as president.”

The defense⁹ said a president would be immune even if they used military forces to murder a political opponent.

The Supreme Court decision makes it unlikely that the case against Trump will be tried before the 2024 election. And Trump and Biden will likely face each other again when America votes on November 5.

Words in This Story

immunity - n. special protection from what is required for most people by law

prosecution - n. the act or process of holding a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty

distinguish - v. to notice or recognize a difference between people or things

defraud - v. to cheat in order to get something

integrity - n. the quality of being honest and fair

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

3 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

4 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

7 defraud   

vt.欺骗，欺诈

参考例句：

• He passed himself off as the managing director to defraud the bank.他假冒总经理的名义诈骗银行。
• He is implicated in the scheme to defraud the government.他卷入了这起欺骗政府的阴谋。

8 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。