Former President Trump's lawyers claimed to the U.S. Supreme Court that Trump has immunity for all acts he conducted in office. Many on the Court didn't seem interested in judging that claim. Some justices didn't even seem interested in the facts of the case before them. Justice Alito repeatedly stated, "I'm not discussing the particular facts of this case, ..."Justice Kavanaugh said, "I'm not focused on the here and now of this case, ..."

The founders of the U.S. believed the President was not above the law. James Iredell, one of this Court's inaugural justices, explained, "If [the President] commits any crime, he is punishable by the laws of his country." Neither the U.S. Constitution nor federal law claims President immunity.

President Ford granted President Nixon a pardon for the crimes he committed while in office. Pardons are only needed for people who are subjected to prosecution for a crime. Forty five Presidents, other than Trump, served without believing they had immunity since passing the Constitution 236 years ago.

Justice Jackson stated the danger of a President immune from the law: "...If someone with those kinds of powers, the most powerful person in the world, with the greatest amount of authority, could go into office knowing that there would be no potential penalty for committing crimes, I'm trying to understand what the disincentive is from turning the Oval Office into...the seat of criminal activity in this country."

We're aware of the actions of a president who has immunity from legal accountability and who acts like that: President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

We the voters can solve this problem of a Supreme Court that cannot read the Constitution, ignores precedent, and ignores the facts of the case in front of them. We can all vote to re-elect President Biden who, like 44 Presidents before him, does not claim to be above the law.

Bill Dagnon,
Baraboo