Washington – Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said he was “troubled” by a landmark court decision that exempted former President Donald Trump from prosecution for official acts he carried out while in office.
Jackson, in an interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell, suggested the ruling gives Trump special treatment compared to others in the criminal justice system.
“When we have a criminal justice system that generally treats everyone the same, I’m concerned about a system that gives immunity to a person in a particular situation,” he said.
It was Jackson’s first broadcast interview since joining the Supreme Court and coincides with the release of his memoir, “Lovely One,” on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, issued in July, fell on ideological lines, with six Republican-appointed justices concluding that former presidents were afforded legal immunity for crimes they allegedly committed in the course of their official duties. But the Supreme Court Rejected Trump’s argument He has absolute immunity unless impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate.
In his dissent, Jackson wrote, “The Court now declared for the first time in history that the most powerful officer in America (under circumstances not yet fully determined) could become a law unto himself.”
The decision halts special counsel Jack Smith’s lawsuit against Trump, who has been accused of opposing a peaceful transition of power after the 2020 election.
On Tuesday, Smith filed A smashing charge After the Supreme Court’s ruling against Trump, the former president avoided prosecution for some of the conduct described in the original indictment, which narrowed the charges.
Asked if he was ready for the upcoming election-related cases to end up in the Supreme Court, Jackson replied that he was “as ready as anyone.”
“I think legal issues arise out of the political process. So, if necessary – the Supreme Court should be ready to respond,” he said.
Watch Norah O’Donnell’s interview with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on “CBS News Sunday Morning.”
