Recently, the former republic known as the United States of America, descended into third-world/banana republic status when the political party in power changed a number of laws so that it could legally persecute – er, prosecute – an ex-president. Only with the chicanery of changing the existing laws to allow the now-expired statute of limitations (It’s not a “statue” no matter how many times liberals use that word.) to be suspended was the prosecution even able to bring the case.
Fortunately for the prosecution, this paper-thin excuse for a criminal charge was thickened when the loving flour of judicial misconduct was added to the gravy. The lumps were still present, but the judge managed to flatten them enough with denial of witness testimony and bizarre jury instructions so that a jury chosen from a district that voted 95% against the former president could achieve their objective and convict him on the charges of – what?
The actual charges are still unknown, but the judge did assure us that if they found him guilty of any crime among the 34 brought to trial, it would elevate them to felony level, and thus allow the left and the press (but I repeat myself) to call him a convicted felon for the next five months leading up to the election.
That, in a nutshell is what just happened.
Now, if you read my blog, I’m guessing you know how I feel about prosecuting presidents for anything less than the murder of a bus load of nuns, using a spoon, on live television during prime time. It’s not done. Much as I loathe Obama and Clinton, and have some serious reservations about Bush, I think it’s horrible policy to prosecute your political opponents in this manner.
For one thing, it’s really hard to do the job of president if your every action (like using drones to kill United States citizens) is subject to criminal charges. Not just bad form, but awful in every way.
Our judicial system is one of the few things that separated us from the rest of the world. It has never been perfect, and has been used to persecute people, and groups of people, on occasion. I do have to say that in my lifetime, at least the first 50 years of it, things got markedly better every year. We eliminated, as a nation, some of the worst blights upon the legal system.
However, in the past 15 years, we have seen a steady stream of vindictive prosecutions meant to “get even” for some perceived offense. Instead of bringing people to trial based on a crime, their identification as the wrongdoer, and sufficient evidence to prove the offense, we’ve been on a wild toboggan ride into the trees at the bottom of the hill in pursuit of “getting people” we don’t like.
If you know me, you know that I don’t roll that way. If you did the crime you should only be prosecuted if they can prove it in court. Instead, and this has long been the case in federal court, prosecutors are not proving guilt, but instead making the defendant prove their innocence at the cost of their families, jobs, and wealth. This is the worst of all possible plans in my opinion.
If you are one of the ones gleefully laughing at Donald Trump for his conviction, I’d ask you to think hard about this: if they can change the laws to retroactively go after a billionaire former president, and screw him to the wall, what chance do you have if they target you.
I hope this conviction gets tossed. I hope we never prosecute another former president for anything short of the pile of dead nuns scenario.
Well said, Joseph.