In a landmark decision with potentially far-reaching consequences, the Supreme Court has delivered a ruling that could upend the legal proceedings against former President Donald Trump led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The case in question is Erlinger v. United States, and while it hasn’t garnered widespread media attention, its implications are profound.
The crux of the Supreme Court’s decision revolves around the interpretation of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. In a 6-3 ruling, the justices determined that a jury must unanimously agree on the specific offenses a defendant is being convicted for, especially when it comes to enhancing sentences under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA).
In 6-3 decision issued today, the Supreme Court ruled that 1) a jury must be unanimous in its findings on criminal convictions, and 2) sentencing enhancements cannot be arbitrarily implemented by judicial fiat.
The ruling and the rhetoric in the opinion have obvious… pic.twitter.com/2QsT71Hrh7
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) June 21, 2024
This unanimous jury requirement strikes at the heart of the methods used by Judge Juan Merchan in instructing the jury for Trump’s “Hush Money” case. Critics had already lambasted Merchan’s instructions as unconstitutional, arguing they allowed jurors to convict Trump without a unanimous decision on each underlying crime. This Supreme Court ruling could serve as a judicial hammer blow to such contentious instructions, validating those who claimed they were deeply flawed.
In essence, the Erlinger decision mandates that juries must reach a unanimous decision “beyond a reasonable doubt” on whether a defendant’s past offenses were committed on separate occasions. The Supreme Court’s opinion strongly rebukes any form of judicial overreach in sentencing enhancements, thus setting a robust precedent against arbitrary judicial actions.
The immediate consequence? The ruling casts a significant shadow over the legitimacy of Bragg’s case against Trump. Legal experts suggest the Supreme Court’s verdict bolsters arguments that Merchan’s jury instructions were not only unconventional but unconstitutional. This could lead to a retrial or even dismissal of charges if the current jury instructions are deemed fundamentally flawed.
To understand the broader context, one must recall how Merchan’s instructions were perceived as an attempt to “Get Trump.” According to Fox News contributor and constitutional law attorney Jonathan Turley, the instructions essentially allowed a jury to convict Trump even if they were split on what specific crimes he allegedly committed. Such a directive was seen as a strategic move to tie Trump up legally, regardless of the long-term judicial fallout.
A closer look at the implications reveals a deliberate strategy to hinder Trump’s political resurgence ahead of the 2024 election. By bogging him down with legal battles, detractors aim to keep him off the campaign trail, potentially incarcerate him, and thereby dismantle his political machinery. However, the Supreme Court’s latest ruling introduces a new legal dimension that could thwart these efforts.
As we await further developments, the Erlinger ruling stands as a pivotal moment in American jurisprudence. It underscores the critical importance of unanimous jury decisions in criminal convictions and signals a judicial pushback against perceived overreaches in high-profile cases. For Trump, this ruling could be a game-changer, offering a lifeline in his ongoing battle against what can only be seen as politically motivated prosecutions.
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