Colorado Supreme Court Decision Disqualifies Trump from 2024 Presidential Ballot, Paving Way for Supreme Court Appeal
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – In a bombshell decision, the Colorado Supreme Court decided on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to be on the 2024 presidential primary ballot. The court has effectively barred Trump from pursuing the presidency due to his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, referencing the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, a measure dating back to the post-Civil War era.
In a 4-3 decision, the Colorado Supreme Court, with all seven members appointed by Democratic governors, stated, “A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”
Section 3 of this Civil War-era amendment, initially designed to prevent Confederate officials from holding power, states, “No person shall … hold any office, civil or military, under the United States … who, having previously taken an oath … as an officer of the United States, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
“President Trump did not merely incite the insurrection,” the opinion from the majority said. “Even when the siege on the Capitol was fully underway, he continued to support it by repeatedly demanding that Vice President Pence refuse to perform his constitutional duty and by calling Senators to persuade them to stop the counting of electoral votes. These actions constituted overt, voluntary, and direct participation in the insurrection.”
“Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado Secretary of State to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot,” the majority opinion concluded.
The Colorado Supreme Court became the first to uphold an argument based on the 14th Amendment. In contrast, earlier courts in Minnesota and Michigan had rejected similar claims.
Six Colorado voters brought the lawsuit forward, which was filed by the left-leaning government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), funded by Soros’ Open Society Foundations and two law firms. The group’s president, Noah Bookbinder, described the ruling as “not only historic and justified but is necessary to protect the future of democracy in our country.”
Supreme Court Warns of Chaos
Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright, Justices Maria E. Berkenkotter, and Carlos Samour dissented in the 4-3 decision, contending that the former president was not given a fair trial.
Justice Samour warned of “chaos” in the aftermath of the ruling.
“The decision to bar former President Donald J. Trump (‘President Trump’)—by all accounts the current leading Republican presidential candidate (and reportedly the current leading overall presidential candidate)—from Colorado’s presidential primary ballot flies in the face of the due process doctrine,” Samour wrote in his dissent.
“There was no fair trial either,” Samour highlighted in his dissent that Trump was not allowed to request a jury trial, which would have allowed for a jury of his peers. “I have been involved in the justice system for thirty-three years now, and what took place here doesn’t resemble anything I’ve seen in a courtroom.”
“Because most other states don’t have the Election Code provisions we do … will inevitably lead to the disqualification of President Trump from the presidential primary ballot in less than all fifty states, thereby risking chaos in our country,” Samour wrote. “This can’t possibly be the outcome the framers intended.”
Trump Campaign Responds
“Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice,” Trump campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung said.
“We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these un-American lawsuits.”
Supreme Court Appeal Coming
The court has deferred its ruling until January 4, allowing Trump time to seek a review from the Supreme Court, which he intends to do. Until the justices resolve this appeal, Trump’s name will remain on the ballot by default.
However, many pundits agree that this ruling may actually solidify Trump’s position as the foremost presidential candidate, reinforcing the perception that he is a prime target of the Biden Department of Justice and the liberal court system. The appeal will challenge the Conservative-majority Supreme Court regarding its interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which numerous legal analysts argue is not applicable to the office of the Presidency.
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.