What to know about the Supreme Court immunity ruling in Trump's 2020 election interference case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's ruling Monday in former President Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case makes it all but certain that the Republican will not face trial in Washington ahead of the November election.

In a 6-3 ruling, the justices said that former presidents are shielded from prosecution for official acts but do not have immunity for unofficial acts. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower court to determine whether core aspects of the indictment are unofficial versus official, and therefore potentially shielded from prosecution.

Here's what to know about the ruling and what comes next:

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THE OPINION

In the court's majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that while “the president is not above the law,” he also “may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers.” Therefore, Trump is “entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts,” Roberts wrote.

The ruling means that special counsel Jack Smith cannot proceed with core allegations in the indictment — or must at least defend their use in future proceedings before the trial judge.

The justices, for instance, wiped out Smith’s use of allegations that Trump sought to leverage the investigative power of the Justice Department by ordering investigations into claims of voter fraud. It does not matter, the justices said, if the requested investigations were based on sham allegations or based on an improper purpose. At the end of the day, the court said, “the President cannot be prosecuted for conduct within his exclusive constitutional authority.”

The justices said the lower court must “carefully analyze” whether other...