Reality check

With all the litigation surrounding President Trump and specifically his claim to absolute immunity, the press, politicians and pundits have popularized the idea that no one is above the law. The Chronicle is no exception with headlines like “Supreme Court tells Trump he’s not above law” ( July 10).

As a lawyer with decades of experience representing lowincome workers, I am disturbed by this trend because it promotes a nonexistent ideal. It fails to acknowledge the reality that, in America, rich people are above the law.

Although equality in the application of law is a noble ideal enshrined in the Constitution, it is purely theoretical in the United States. The two decisions this week by the Supreme Court proclaiming Trump is not above the law are perfect examples. If the Manhattan district attorney had been seeking my financial records in a criminal proceeding, there is no question he would have had them long ago.

While there are some noteworthy examples in which the law reaches the rich and powerful (Presidents Nixon and Clinton come to mind), that is always the case because rich and powerful people demand it.

Mark Vickness, Oakland