Existing comment:
President Cannot Defer Civil Suits
In Clinton v. Jones, the U.S. Supreme Court decided unanimously that the president did not have immunity from civil suits arising from events alleged to have taken place before his term in office. They also rejected the claim that the president could defer litigation until after his presidency. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote a concurring opinion in which he argued that while the president may not defer court proceedings, the courts must schedule proceedings in order to "avoid significant interference with the President's ongoing discharge of his official responsibilities." Cartoonist Herblock lampooned the Court's decision in light of the impact the case had on President Clinton's second term as president. |