THE DEFENDANT:...Donald Trump And The U.S. Supreme Court..."Absolute Immunity?" ...A Legitimate Candidate?... Next Monday Will Tell...

 

By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas |...One up and it appears one down for Donald J. Trump at the U.S. Supreme Court. He seems to have won his fight to stay on the ballot in Colorado. Yesterday's wrangling at the nation's high court went mostly his way. The Supremes sort of sided with him.

There is no final ruling on that yet, but it's political peristalsis - the crap forcing itself down the country's intestines.

Next Monday brings something else for the 77-year-old Republican presidential candidate weathering storm after storm after storm. That's the deadline for any appeal Trump may lodge with the same court on that "absolute immunity" request he insists on but that was shot down by the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. last week. Shot down unanimously.

That ruling would seemingly clear the way for his insurrection trial, but would hold if the Supreme Court accepts the case. Word is it won't.

But, as all of us know, these are not normal times, and the court of last resort has been a bit squirrelly of late. This give & take with lawyers and those of the government this week on Colorado's desire to keep Trump off its ballot in the General Election has been anything but predictable.

The court hemmed & hawed, took commentary and posed questions. According to legal scholars and our best political pundits, Trump took the day. And, well, he thought so, too, issuing end-of-the-day comments that went to full victory. He'll stay on the Colorado ballot.

Those same learned observers aren't as sure about the immunity thing. Trumps insists on it; most say he's dreaming or hallucinating.

This from newsweek.com: [The next step is for Trump to seek review at the Court of Appeals ruling. The DC Circuit delayed the date when the case is official - the “mandate” - to Monday, February 12, giving Trump a chance to ask the Supreme Court to step in and put the DC Circuit’s opinion on hold.

The Supreme Court should decline the invitation and instead allow the trial to proceed. The country needs to know whether Trump is convicted of these crimes before the November election. ]

It's a bad helicopter ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for the nation when its high-government legal matters drag on. Most law-abiding Americans might recall the pardon former President Gerald Ford gifted Richard M. Nixon following that Watergate break-in mess that saw him resign the presidency. Ford said he did it to put an end the country's "nightmare." It also kept Nixon out of jail.

Political games are one thing. Dances in our highest courts are quite something else. The nation cannot look away when our leaders are afforded either special treatment or seemingly liberal commentary and results. Trump is having his days in court. It's a slower-than-usual clock at the court of appeals and at the Supreme Court. Rulings take time.

And most Americans are largely okay with that, except in the case of Donald Trump. Or, we should say, in the many cases of Donald Trump.

Is the guy with four criminal cases and 91 felonies on his back eligible to seek the presidency or is he not. That's the simple question.

Answer based on constitutional law and be done with it.

This is the U.S. Supreme Court, not some lower court where rulings can and often go challenged and at times overturned. Deal with it. Americans can handle it if rulings arrive armed with standing and are explained, for the most part, to the general public's satisfaction.

Colorado took a stand against Trump, saying he was unworthy of seeking the presidency. Supreme Court justices, even the liberal ones, seem to believe otherwise. Fine.

That "absolute immunity" case brings something else altogether.

"Absolute immunity?"

Obscenity, we say.

No one is above the law. The charges against Trump are just that, charges. Get him to trial and let's resolve this mess. If a court or jury finds him not guilty, well, we'll handle that. If not, he should pay the price.

Drum the intro and cue the choir: "...No one is above the law."

Only, so far Trump is at arm's length of the law. The U.S. Supreme Court needs to sing the refrain...

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