Just Remember

Next time it could be you

I’m no lawyer. Thank goodness. But as someone who believes in common sense and advocates for people to think for themselves, we have entered unfamiliar territory. At least in the US. As a pundit said this morning, this kind of politicization of the courts to prosecute your presidential opponents has not occurred since John Adams tried to do this to Thomas Jefferson.

For those of you who weren’t taught this, that would be the election of 1800. Two-hundred and twenty-four years ago. That is a long time to go full circle. Yet, here we are. The only reason Adam’s did this was because he knew he was in danger of losing.

Sound familiar? As I have written before, the problem with these kangaroo court shenanigans goes beyond the personal vendetta it is. Why else is De Niro standing outside a courthouse saying we need to prevent someone from becoming president?

Whoops. Seems like his handlers should have had him outside a polling place. That is how we prevent people from winning elections. Not by weaponizing the justice system WE ALL rely on to be just, fair and impartial. Sadly, that is not the case in this instance.

For anyone who paid any attention to the facts of the case and not just those bloviating on news channels on ALL outlets, the facts were neither damning and, most times, not even present. If you bother to look at the stupid pet tricks required to even get this case to trial, in the most liberal district in the entire country, it becomes obvious this is contrived for only one purpose. To disenfranchise millions of voters who prefer to elect someone who is not currently in the office.

Used to be our politicians would rely on their WORDS and DEEDS to sway voters. Now, with social media, the disinformation and misinformation is epic. I suspect with AI created content, it will be over the top for the next five months. One side is trying to shut down the dissemination of this information while looking the other way at social media companies ‘helping’ them. What is one to do?

Before it was up to us to listen to the candidates. Weigh their words and proposals and make our choice. Now we don’t know up from down and outside forces spend billions to sway us with questionable information from all sides. It is no surprise the voters are angry or just ambivalent.

It is too much work for most. They either vote based on the last thing they saw, heard or read on the way to the poll or when filling out their ballot at home. Increasingly in our less and less educated electorate, I suspect more are saying F-it and not voting at all.

This too is voter disenfranchisement. If you are the less popular candidate, fewer voters mean you need fewer votes to win a majority. So a no vote is also a vote for you.

This is more of that attitude. This verdict will have little effect on the partisans on either side. In fact, it will probably encourage more fence sitters to vote FOR him rather than against him, simply because it is so obvious how the administration is trying to rig the playing field.

Americans rarely like coercion. Even less so after all the government missteps in the handling of COVID and all the botched FBI investigations. There is no longer trust they have our best interests at heart.

The true losers in all this are us. Those of us who count on our friends and neighbors to use common sense when called upon to listen to facts and pass judgement. This will probably be overturned on appeal, though it is likely to go to the Supreme Court.

What hope is there for an impartial review of the facts of the CASE by the state district appellate court or the full NY state appellate court ? Out of the 21 justices on the district court of appeal, ONE was appointed by a republican in 1999. On the state level appellate court, all seven are appointed by democrats. So expect more of the same treatment. About the man and not the impartial facts of the case or egregious behavior of the DA or the judge.

Just like with the ridiculous reading of the 14th Amendment to keep him off the ballot for the election. These frivolous and unconstitutional cases are NEVER stopped by the lower courts in these liberal states. They are always left to the Supreme Court to both review them FAIRLY and to earn the enmity of the liberal voters. These lower courts are intimidated by the mob and fear to actually do their jobs. Nor is there ever any repercussion on those who put forth these crazy lawsuits.

This is our problem. Judges are supposed to judge. Not to let their personal animosity color their rulings. The judge in this New York case acted with such disregard for general jurisprudence he has stained the reputation of every other judge. In short, as lawyers like to point out, he has set precedent.

Precedent, in this case that is both egregious and unconstitutional on so many levels. The various courts of appeal should overturn this conviction as soon as it hits their desk for one reason. This ruling is a weapon. A weapon that can be used by every partisan hack from this point forward. To rewrite statues at the state level to extend the ability to prosecute on old charges whose statute of limitations has expired. As Alvin Bragg did to bring these charges. Charges both his predecessor and the Federal prosecutor declined to pursue.

To hold a trial where the actual crime is never even disclosed. Payoffs to bimbos are not illegal. That’s what divorce court is for. NDAs are legal agreements. I have signed enough of them in my former corporate life. So the entire criminality of a case is how a fee was documented? Don’t let your dog poop on someone’s lawn. That could be a hate crime.

Then to have a judge provide jury-rigged (ever wonder where that cliche’ came from - bingo) instructions to allow the jury to twist the testimony into a pretzel to achieve consensus and a symbolic guilty verdict. This was personal by the judge, not impartial.

I get it, he doesn’t like Trump. But his JOB is to be impartial and stand above the rhetoric. I don’t like Trump either. But when it comes time to choose who to vote for, I want the opportunity to review the words, deeds, track record and how either of these candidates affects my life. I don’t want someone else trying to remove one of my potential choices. Just because they don’t like the fact I might not choose their guy. That IS un-American.

Every president from this point forward can expect to be pursued and brought to court on ANY charge their opposition likes. This trial has now made this a possibility. Thankfully, republicans are usually not this vindictive. Or as good at it as democrats. So it is unlikely Obama or Clinton will face similar actions, though they both easily could. The current president has already gotten a pass on his own prosecutions because the prosecutor assumes the jury would look at him and see someone unable to comprehend what is happening.

Not to mention the nefarious actions of Mrs. Clinton. This could get really ugly if the republicans were inclined to act as the democrats do daily. Good thing she didn’t decide to move to Wyoming, where a jury of conservatives would be seated. But even then, I can guarantee you, they would have done their duty and been impartial.

And the double standard that is Hunter Biden, where the same administration allowed some felony tax evasion crimes to lapse without pursuit, hmm. And to not investigate so many payments from our adversaries? And the so called 51 intelligence leaders claiming a laptop with damning information be ignored before the election as a Russian ploy? The banning of the New York Post from social media to hide this laptop information. No collusion there, right? Come on, we may be fed up, but everyday Americans are not stupid. Let’s just say we notice the double standards and know Trump’s children would not have been treated the same.

I am not defending Donald Trump. I am defending the rule of law. This is simply an attempt by the administration to get ANY conviction so they can call him a convicted felon. Check. Is it going to matter? I don’t think so. But it sure doubles down on the view they don’t think they can convince a majority of voters that Biden is the better president or the better choice to get a second four years. Why else do this? If Trump were not running, this would not be happening. This has nothing to do with ‘justice’.

I fear for our society. Look at Brasil and what has happened in their elections and their supreme court. Or Venezuela, and the list goes on. I don’t want the US to be on that list. We are fast approaching this same third world level banana republic antics. If you can’t count on a fair trial with a fair judge, how do we survive as a society? This same precedent can be used in all cases, as far down as one that might affect YOU.

Trump haters are rejoicing, thinking they have finally got him. Trump lovers are down in the dumps and angry at this miscarriage of our justice system. I am neither. I am just sad at yet another swing of the axe at our liberties. The most important thing about our constitution is our criminal justice system. Not flawless by any means. It still represents the freest and most fair in the world. Or did. I weep for yet another freedom we are squandering through inattention, ignorance and lack of accountability.

Just as I am finishing this, Jamie Raskin, democratic congressional mouthpiece, is saying Justice Alito and Justice Thomas have to recuse themselves from any review of the Trump appeal. These guys never give up. Rig the system anyway they can. There is no reason to ask judges to recuse themselves unless you KNOW they are going to overturn the conviction.

This is just the latest insult to YOUR intelligence from the ‘elect Biden at all costs’ machine. I try to be non-partisan, but this is getting to be too much. It ends up having exactly the opposite effect to what they hope when any thinking American, including moderate democrats, see these kinds of obvious attempts to hijack our system of checks and balances.

Here’s to hoping common sense and the judge’s oaths to review only the facts of the case vs the participants will carry the day. If this is true, this is overturned quickly. And we avoid losing another of our cherished freedoms. If not, then expect to get sued and convicted because your dog crapped on a neighbor’s lawn ten years ago. Not because it was illegal, but because you incorrectly joked he was just fertilizing the neighborhood. This is what we have come to.

WST4Y