Unlike any trial we’ve ever seen

Do not be deceived, what happened in the United States Senate was not a trial in a sense that most of us think of a trial. Yes, senators took an oath to be faithful to the law and follow it wherever it takes them. Having taken that oath they promptly ignored it.

Some of the events that followed would never be allowed in any trial I am acquainted with. I have tried over 200 jury trials to verdict. Those were a mixture of criminal and civil. The behavior of jurors must remain above reproach. Jurors are not allowed to read a newspaper, check their phones, conspire with one side against the other, communicate with parties or lawyers, express advance opinions about the case, or indicate a bias in any way. Should they do so they would be disqualified in the least and found in contempt and jailed in the most.

What we saw in our Capital was a mockery of a trial. It was a mob boss trial with the mob boss in charge of the court and the jury. Nothing happened that conformed to anyone’s idea of justice. The evidence of guilt was overwhelming. Even Minority Leader Mitch McConnell admitted as much. Of course since he was beholding to the defendant he voted to acquit in what history will regard as a monumental example of political hypocrisy. What a shame that the idea of justice proved so elusive to the very people we elect to perform it.

— Larry Baumbach, Chico