U.S. v. Nixon: Clinton v. Jones

    U.S. v. Nixon: Clinton v. Jones

      Clinton v. Jones mentions U.S. v. Nixon in its argument. President Bill Clinton was being sued by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones for sexual harassment while Clinton was governor of Arkansas. The big question in Clinton v. Jones was: based on the separation of powers argument, can a sitting president be sued for actions that were committed before he was president? U.S. v. Nixon set precedent for this case, arguing that the president is not above the law, and is subject to the courts under special circumstances (like this one). The ruling in Clinton v. Jones would confirm that the president has no immunity from civil litigation for acts done before taking office.

      The Clinton case was a civil, not a criminal one, but the outcome was the same: presidents are not above the law.