28 August 2017

Pardon

Whilst Hurricane Harvey bore down on Texas Friday night and everyone was distracted, Donald Trump quietly pardoned one of the most hateful people in America, Joseph Arpaio, a former and highly controversial county sheriff in Arizona and a long-time personal friend of the President. For his first pardon, Trump completely ignored the standard Justice Department vetting and review process.

Arpaio had been convicted of contempt of federal court for violating a judge's order to stop detaining people simply because he thought they were illegal aliens. Trump pardoned him after he was convicted but before he was sentenced.

The President had originally tried to stop the prosecution. However, the Justice Department refused to condone what would have been, effectively, criminal obstruction of justice by Trump (details here), an action that could now come back to haunt him.

Whilst Trump's pardon itself is almost certainly legal, by doing so he immediately set off a firestorm of controversy and condemnation from both Republicans and Democrats. Not only did he pardon a hateful racist, who also has a history of being anti-LGBT, he showed complete disdain for the American judiciary system.

Arpaio wasn't convicted of an ordinary crime. He was convicted of repeatedly ignoring and defying a federal judge.

By pardoning Arpaio, Trump demonstrated a total disregard for the rule of law. If you're a friend of Trump and defy a judge, he's got your back.

Trump claims to be the "law and order President," but he's the exact opposite. This is the sort of corrupt thuggery we could expect to see in Vladimir Putin's Russia or any other kleptocratic dictatorship.

Not surprisingly, the op-ed pages and legal columnists have been excoriating Trump for this pardon. I think the best piece I've read so far is by Adam Liptak, a lawyer who writes for The New York Times, who penned a piece with the title "Why Trump’s Pardon of Arpaio Follows Law, Yet Challenges It" (link here).

If you want to understand why this pardon was so dangerous and frankly un-American, then Liptak's piece is a good place to start. It proves the old adage that "what is legal isn't always what is right."

3 comments:

  1. OMFG!
    When I heard the news that «45» pardoned Arpaio, I was flabbergasted and didn't believe that it could be possible in a LAW country.

    Something you could NEVER see here in Canada. NOBODY here is above the LAW, not even our Prime Minister.

    Canada is so different than USA in many ways.
    Just to show you.

    Yesterday and for the 150th anniversary of our Canadian Constitution, there was a HUGE gay pride parade in Ottawa.
    Our «nice» Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, lifted the gay flag on Parliamant Hill with many official guest.
    More, he when in the parade too.
    More, our commander in chief of Canadian Army, Gen. Jonathan Vance and many army's officials where part of the parade.
    Gen. Vance stated that ANY LGBT people that wants to join the armed forces is MORE than WELCOME to follow his, her dreams.

    After «45» said he would ban TRANS frome USA's army, our army officials standed up to say that here, in Canada, we would stand for LGBT rights to be treated as equals to anyone.

    Great difference between our two «democratic» countries.

    God save Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Last minute add.

    Our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, just did a minor reshuffle of his minister's cabinet.

    The «new» minister of our «War Veterans» is M. Seamus O'Regan, an openly gay man, married and who is a close friend of Justin Trudeau.
    Both attended many Gay Pride parades all over Canada this year.

    Another HUGE difference between Washington and Ottawa.

    God Bless Canada to be such an open minded country to include ALL of its population.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous05:31

    Que vergüenza.Amigo venezolano,Cucuta

    ReplyDelete

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