Appeals court rules Trump doesn't have presidential immunity from Jan. 6 lawsuits

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., ruled Friday that former President Donald Trump is not immune from being held accountable in civil lawsuits related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021. 

Trump “does not spend every minute of every day exercising official responsibilities,” the opinion reads, according to CNN.  

“And when he acts outside the functions of his office, he does not continue to enjoy immunity. … When he acts in an unofficial, private capacity, he is subject to civil suits like any private citizen," the opinion continues. 

The Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Sri Srinivasan, wrote in a filing that not everything Trump did while president protects him from liability. 

"The sole issue before us is whether President Trump has demonstrated an entitlement to official-act immunity for his actions leading up to and on January 6 as alleged in the complaints," Srinivasan  wrote, according to Fox News. "We answer no, at least at this state of the proceedings."

The ruling to allow the Jan. 6 lawsuits against the former president to continue was unanimous among the three judges on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.