Fears of delay as Trump's immunity bid reaches supreme court

The US supreme court's decision to hear Donald Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution in late April has drawn criticism from one of his fiercest Republican critics, who said it would deny Americans crucial information about the former president's efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

- Richard Luscombe

The US supreme court agreed on Wednesday to take up the unprecedented claim that Trump had absolute immunity from prosecution in the criminal case over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, throwing into jeopardy whether it goes to trial before the 2024 election.

Liz Cheney, a former Wyoming congresswoman who was ousted by primary voters angry at her participation in hearings into the 6 January Capitol insurrection, also demanded that the justices come to a speedy decision.

In a message posted to X, Cheney, a vocal critic of Trump, said voters needed to have a verdict on the presumed Republican presidential nominee before they went to the polls in November.

"Delaying the January 6 trial suppresses critical evidence that Americans deserve to hear," she wrote. "Donald Trump attempted to overturn an election and seize power. Our justice system must be able to bring him to trial before the next election. Scotus [supreme court of the US] should decide this case promptly."

Justices on Wednesday set the week of 22 April to hear oral arguments over Trump's assertion that he cannot be held criminally responsible for actions he took to overturn his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden.

Trump, who is facing a four-count indictment including conspiracy to defraud the US and conspiracy to obstruct the congressional certification of the election results, has declared the decision a victory, mostly because it puts the trial on hold, possibly until after the election.