Zinger Key Points
- Trump-appointed judges impact his legal battles, underscoring the power of presidential judicial nominations.
- Despite a series of legal wins, not all Trump nominees deliver favorable rulings, reflecting the judiciary's complexity.
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The recent legal victories of former President Donald Trump have largely come as the result of rulings of judges he appointed during his presidency.
What Happened: The three Supreme Court justices nominated by Trump played a pivotal role in establishing presidential immunity from prosecution for official actions.
This ruling has stalled the charges Trump is facing in several jurisdictions for allegedly attempting to undermine the 2020 election and has cast uncertainty on his New York conviction.
Moreover, Trump’s nominee for the federal court in Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon, has dismissed the charges against him for allegedly hoarding classified documents and concealing them from investigators. Trump has celebrated this decision as a major win, reported Politico.
"This is a perfect example of serendipity, how the occurrence of events and trials and tribulations of the judicial process have all combined to work in favor of Donald Trump," Gene Rossi, a former federal prosecutor and civil litigator, told the publication.
"Today, given that politics are so important in securing a judicial appointment, I can see how that sort of concern can spread," David Zaring, professor of legal studies from the Wharton School of Business, said.
"Trump got so lucky — people don't usually get a chance to appoint three justices to the Supreme Court in one term. Trump got it and then the Supreme Court gave him a very favorable ruling after that," he added.
Experts believe that Trump’s series of legal victories can be attributed to remarkable luck and timing. He is the first president since Ronald Reagan to nominate three justices to the Supreme Court and the first to face criminal charges that were later heard by the judges he appointed.
However, these victories also indicate a strategic move by conservatives to nominate judges who would more predictably rule in their favor. This strategy has been adopted by President Joe Biden as well, although its effect is yet to be observed.
Despite these victories, not all of Trump's appointees have consistently ruled in his favor throughout his journey through the criminal justice system.
The Supreme Court rejected his attempt to protect his White House papers from the Jan. 6 select committee and declined to consider his effort to keep the documents investigation on hold.
Why It Matters: The recent legal victories of Trump underscore the significant impact of judicial appointments on legal outcomes. These victories not only demonstrate the strategic importance of judicial nominations but also raise questions about the impartiality of the judiciary.
The fact that not all of Trump’s appointees have uniformly ruled in his favor indicates the complexity of the issue and suggests that the influence of judicial appointments on legal outcomes may not be as straightforward as it appears.
This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo: Shutterstock
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