Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson says she was “concerned” about Trump immunity ruling

Washington — Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she was “concerned” about the court’s landmark decision that granted former President Donald Trump immunity from prosecution for official acts he took while in office. 

Jackson, in an interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell, suggested the ruling gives Trump special treatment compared to anyone else in the criminal justice system. 

“I was concerned about a system that appeared to provide immunity for one individual under one set of circumstances, when we have a criminal justice system that had ordinarily treated everyone the same,” she said. 

It is Jackson’s first broadcast interview since joining the Supreme Court, and it comes ahead of the release of her memoir, “Lovely One,” on Tuesday. 

The Supreme Court’s decision, which was released in July, fell along ideological lines, with the six Republican-appointed justices concluding that former presidents have sweeping legal protections from charges for alleged acts that fell within their official duties. But the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s argument that he has absolute immunity unless impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate.  

In her dissent, Jackson wrote that “the court has now declared for the first time in history that the most powerful official in the United States can (under circumstances yet to be fully determined) become a law unto himself.” 

The decision stalled special counsel Jack Smith’s case against Trump, who is accused of resisting the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election. 

On Tuesday, Smith filed a superseding indictment against Trump, narrowing the allegations after the Supreme Court ruling the former president was immune from prosecution for some of the conduct detailed in the original indictment. 

Asked whether she was prepared for cases relating to the upcoming election to end up before the Supreme Court, Jackson replied that she is “as prepared as anyone can be.” 

“I think there are legal issues that arise out of the political process. And so, the Supreme Court has to be prepared to respond – if – if that should be necessary,” she said. 

---

Watch more of Norah O’Donnell’s interview with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on “CBS News Sunday Morning.”