Washington (CNN) On the same day that a Democratic-led US House committee voted for articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court made its own momentous decision to intervene in Trump's effort to keep his tax returns and other financial records secret.
The justices agreed to resolve in spring 2020 if a sitting president should be immune from any criminal proceeding, whether related to conduct before taking office or even -- to use Trump's famed example -- shooting someone on Fifth Avenue in New York. The high court also said it would determine the oversight authority of Congress in paired disputes arising from attempts by House Democrats to obtain Trump's financial documents.
The eventual decisions would help define the high court in the Trump era, especially as Chief Justice John Roberts has tried to carefully navigate Trump-related litigation and regularly declares that the justices are above politics.
Roberts, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005, has tried to shield the judiciary from the polarization in Washington, stepping up his efforts after the contentious confirmations of Trump appointees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Last year, Roberts admonished Trump and said judges should not be labeled as "Obama judges" or "Trump judges," but rather as neutral decision-makers. |