Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which with others brought the highly publicized Colorado court case seeking to force Donald Trump’s removal from the ballot for next year’s presidential race in that state, has announced a date for arguments before that state’s Supreme Court in their case against Trump. It’s December 6.
“NEW: We will be presenting arguments to the Colorado Supreme Court on December 6th in our 14th Amendment lawsuit seeking to bar Donald Trump from the ballot. Mark your calendars,” CREW said on social media.
The arguments will follow a trial judge’s ruling that did conclude Trump engaged in insurrection under standards tracing to the Constitution but stopped short of blocking him from any ballots. The Constitutional restrictions that CREW and others have been seeking to apply originate with the 14th Amendment and block certain individuals tied to insurrection from later holding a slew of government offices. (The Trump argument involves January 6.) The judge concluded the presidency was exempt from those restrictions, leading to surprise from some.
The ruling Trump engaged in insurrection has been taken as a win by the case’s original filers, and notably, the Trump team is appealing key portions of trial Judge Sarah Wallace’s original conclusions — undercutting the notion of a decisive victory for the former president in that he’s technically still on track for the ballot.
Meanwhile, Trump’s several criminal cases might not result in direct disqualification for office, though there remains the pointedly open question of whether he’ll end up incapacitated somehow in tandem with the dozens of criminal charges. Even before trial happens, he continues testing the relevant limits with his insistent, public antagonism of opponents, though the gag order remains temporarily suspended in his January 6 case. Still, violations if it’s restored could result in serious consequences, evidently including detention. Recent arguments before a federal appeals court left observers suspecting the judges would, in fact, restore the order against Trump.
