Kenneth Fowler/CNN

Chief Justice John Roberts’ 20 years on the Supreme Court have been punctuated by a series of vivid episodes, from his confirmation hearings as he vowed merely to call “balls and strikes,” to his dramatic switched vote to preserve the Affordable Care Act, to his weeks presiding over the televised impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

But the moment most central to Roberts’ legacy occurred in the courtroom shielded from cameras on July 1, 2024.

Seated at the center of the elevated bench, Roberts declared the American president immune from criminal prosecution . It was a milestone decision providing new power for all presidents and, at the time, possibly changing the course of a presidential election.

“I think it was a turning point,” said Boston Univers

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