Trump lawyer says president Trump couldn't be prosecuted for shooting someone on Fifth Avenue

[riversedge]

Just how much more insane can Trump WH get???



Trump lawyer says president couldn't be prosecuted for shooting someone on Fifth Avenue


https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/467108-trump-attorney-president-could-shoot-someone-on-fifth-avenue-and-not




By Harper Neidig - 10/23/19 12:20 PM EDT



An attorney for President Trump told a federal appeals court Wednesday that Trump could not be prosecuted even if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue in New York amid a legal fight that seems destined for the Supreme Court.

Trump's personal attorney William Consovoy made the remark during oral arguments in a case involving a Manhattan District Attorney subpoena seeking Trump's tax returns and financial records from his accounting firm. The president's attorneys have argued he has blanket immunity from criminal prosecution and even investigation while in office.

Attorneys and the three-judge panel for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, all of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents, frequently referred to Trump’s assertion from his 2016 presidential campaign that he could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone” without losing supporters.

Judge Denny Chin asked Consovoy how such a scenario would work under the president’s claims of executive immunity from prosecution and investigation.

“What’s your view on the ‘Fifth Avenue’ example?” Chin asked. “Local authorities couldn’t investigate, couldn’t do anything about it?”

“Nothing could be done, that’s your position?” he added.

“That is correct,” Consovoy responded.

The case stems from a subpoena that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance issued to the accounting firm Mazars seeking the same financial records that are at the heart of separate court battles involving two Democratic-controlled House committees.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office accused Trump of "making up" claims about his tax returns and other financial records that do not exist in the law.

Carey Dunne, a lawyer with the office, pushed back aggressively against arguments that Trump's records were protected under the Constitution.

“There is no privilege for tax returns, whether it's the president or anybody else in the country,” Dunne told the judges. “Yes, he may view them as embarrassing or sensitive. But yes, tax returns do in fact get subpoenaed all the time in financial investigations.”

“They're making this up, Your Honor, that's all I can say,” Dunne added...............................

[dawg day]

1. They're not going to get far saying the president could kill someone and not be prosecuted...

Or that a state court could be bound by this OLC memo-- not even a court decision.

[Joe941]

2. Would that be an impeachable offense?

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. But Republican senators don't have to follow exact laws when deciding an impeachment case

and some of them would find excuses for murder.

[Cicada]

3. DOJ policy says sitting president may not be proesecuted while President

DOJ reached that conclusion many years ago. But he could be tried after his term ends, assuming the statute of limitations has not expired. DOJ had no partisan reason for reaching that legal conclusion.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. That's for federal crimes they have jurisdiction over, not state (nt)

[Cicada]

10. Should Mississippi be permitted to arrest President Booker?

I think they should be able to indict a president with prosecution delayed.

[triron]

12. That's an overly broad conjectural question. In some cases I may say 'yes'.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. For something serious like murder, yes, they should

It's a president, not a god.

[struggle4progress]

4. "Hail Trump! Hail our people!"

[Native]

5. I HAVE NO WORDS

[MarcA]

8. Some of the friends and family of the victim might think otherwise. n/t

[Jeffersons Ghost]

9. K&R

[Blue_Tires]

11. um... yeah...

Anyone care to show me which law says the president can wantonly murder American citizens without punishment?