ATHENS, Ala. — The Alabama chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People releasing an official statement on Monday's Supreme Court ruling granting presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.
The NAACP Alabama State Conference relasing the following press release Tuesday.
ALABAMA NAACP IS DEVASTATED BY HIGH COURT RULING IN TRUMP IMMUNITY CASE
In a 6-3 win, the Supreme Court of the United States granted former President Donald Trump immunity, exempting him from his egregious January 6th acts, and conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. According to the ruling, which came down hours ago, the highest court in the land ruled “presidents are entitled to immunity from federal prosecution for official acts,” making a play on what is an official act and what is not official, and ultimately casting Trump above the law.
A conservative majority court, led by Chief Justice Roberts concluded that “Congress may not criminalize the president’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the executive branch under the Constitution.” The three liberal Justices; Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson appalled by the decision, criticized the majority ruling, with Sotomayor dissenting, “every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.” Justice Jackson penning ‘the majority ruling breaks new and dangerous ground by granting immunity only to the most powerful official in our government.”
Justice Roberts also held that some actions and powers of the president have some immunity, deferring a classification of immunity to lower courts, which could take weeks, or even months, pushing a lower court ruling beyond the November election cycle. Aggrieved by the ruling, many other presidents are weighing in, seeing this decision as dangerous, and others echoing the same sentiments of the Justices. “This decision is a danger to not only the African American community, but a danger to our society as a whole, said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “Former president Donald Trump is not above the law and definitely not a king,” said Benard Simelton, President of the Alabama NAACP.
“The Highest Court in the land has failed to protect its’ citizens from the most dangerous threat to our society, and this ruling, coming from the United States Supreme Court, violates the trust put in it by its’ citizens. We are living in very dangerous times and the urgency to cast your vote in this year’s election has never been more of a life and death issue than now,” added president Simelton.
