Supreme Court immunity ruling feeds fears, draws ire

Granting immunity from criminal prosecution is a prosecutorial function, not a judicial function. In our legal system, courts don’t confer immunity on criminal defendants. The authority to prosecute crimes on behalf of the public necessarily includes the discretion to decide whether a potential defendant’s truthful testimony is worth more than prosecuting that person. Unlike European legal systems, where judges also serve as investigators and prosecutors, our bedrock constitutional principle of separation of powers keeps judges and prosecutors in their own lanes. Judges judge and prosecutors prosecute. In Trump v. US,...