I’m no fan of Donald Trump, I’m no fan of vigilante behavior.
“Lock him up!” at a Kamala Harris rally is just as offensive as “Lock her up!” at a 2016 rally when Trump was running against Hillary Clinton and she was under investigation for posting classified information on a private email server.
It is against our laws and our way of life to allow a frenzied partisan mob to jail a political opponent. When politicians commit crimes, like Sen. Bob Menendez (D-J), their guilt is left to a jury and their sentence to a court. This is called due process, and it is the pinnacle of our legal system.
There is no doubt that Trump started this harmful trend in 2016. He is now He never said, “Lock her up.” But heAnd that is one of the many reasons why I will never vote for him.
But because President Trump started this, it is up to Vice President Kamala Harris to put an end to the calls for his incarceration.
A presidential candidate being convicted of 34 felonies is unprecedented in history, making it a fitting subject for political commentary. Philadelphia Governor Tim Walz was keen to cash in on the political gains he made during his first appearance. Harsh words that got the crowd excited” “And make no mistake: violent crime has increased under Donald Trump, and that doesn’t even count the crimes he committed.” Hyperbole, it’s funny, and it’s fair game.
Now, with Harris and Waltz’s explosive and inspiring candidacy, the crowds have started to move again. At Harris’ rallies, whenever she or Waltz mention the “crimes” Trump has committed, the frenzied crowds respond with unison chants of “Put him in jail!”, to which Harris calmly but firmly blocks them.
“Well, wait a minute.”She said “Look, the courts will handle that part. Our job is to beat him in November,” Ms. Harris told her supporters last week. Ms. Harris is a lawyer and former prosecutor. She understands the finer points.
No matter how strong the evidence, there is no sure thing that Trump will go to jail for any crime. The case against him is fizzling like a lump of sugar in hot tea. Trump is in legal limbo that may take years to resolve.
Trump has been indicted in four jurisdictions. Thanks to the Supreme Court, the most important cases arising from the events of January 6th are in pieces. We may not know for years whether the fake electoral college scheme, the pressure on VP Pence, inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol, and waiting in the White House for more than three hours were private criminal acts that could be prosecuted or official acts that would carry presumptive immunity.
Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington wanted to try the case again quickly, but prosecutors A three-week postponement was requested. “I will consult with the rest of the Department of Justice to evaluate the new precedent issued by the Supreme Court last month.” It’s an odd request. Smith’s team has been working on the case for over a month, since the Supreme Court ruled on July 1. It may now decide to drop the case altogether.
The Florida case over mishandling of classified documents was dismissed because Trump-leaning Judge Eileen Cannon thought the government lacked the authority to appoint Jack Smith as special counsel. The Department of Justice is appealing, and most lawyers I’ve spoken to think the ruling was wrong. But who knows what the 11th Circuit or ultimately the Supreme Court will think. Justice Clarence Thomas’s thoughtsBut that’s another story. For now, let’s add another point to Trump.
The once-sounding Fulton County, Georgia “find the vote” case was also blown to pieces. When it was revealed that District Attorney Fani Willis had had an affair with the chief assistant district attorney, Trump received a godsend. The judge ruled that DA Willis could stay on the case if the chief district attorney resigned. DA Willis resigned, but Trump appealed and the case was dropped. Officially stayed An appeals court is expected to hear arguments challenging the judge’s decision until at least October.
Since the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, things have become more complicated. Michigan law professor and noted legal analyst Barbara McQuaid said: says The Georgia lawsuit is “subject to the same scrutiny as a federal lawsuit.” After Willis’ position is sorted, a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on immunity grounds will likely be filed. Who knows if that motion will also end up in the dustbin of history.
The remaining case is in New York, where Trump was convicted on 34 counts of creating false records to conceal payments to pornographic actresses. Scheduled for September 18thTrump will undoubtedly then appeal.
Trump told the judge: Supreme Court decision to exemptHis status is unclear because the case involves conduct before he became president. In the immunity case, Chief Justice John Roberts suggested that conduct before becoming president does not protect against criminal prosecution. There are also other legal issues in the case that could lead to the New York Court of Appeals overturning the conviction.
Due process and political theater are both constitutionally protected goals. Here, they seem to be on the verge of conflict.
James D. Zillin is an author, legal analyst, and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He is also a public television talk show and podcast host.A conversation with Jim Gillin.
