Treat all equally in court — Trump included
When our Founding Fathers created our Constitution in that summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, their intent was to create a government that depended upon laws, that would not be subservient to a single man, but would be subservient to the laws. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were the foundation they created.
Much has been made of Mr. Trump's claim he has not been treated fairly under the law. In November 2022, Darrell Brooks, the man who committed the Waukesha Christmas Parade killings, refused to be quiet and continued to talk to the judge. The judge had him removed from the court to witness proceedings on video. In June 2011, Judge James Brandlin was confronted by defendant Carlton Mayham, who repeatedly interrupted the proceedings, occasionally with expletives. Judge Brandlin removed him from the court. Upon appeal, the Second Appellate District affirmed the decision by Judge Brandlin to remove Mr. Carlton, thus establishing precedent. The differences in crimes alleged or tried make no difference. The Second Appellate District ruled that under law defendants acting out in court can be removed for the conduct of justice.
In November 2023, Donald Trump took the stand in his fraud trial under Judge Engeron. During his testimony, Donald wandered off subject, directed remarks at the judge and everyone in the prosecutor's office, and continually mumbled from his seat. Judge Engeron reprimanded him on multiple occasions but he was allowed to continue his testimony and return to his seat without further discipline. Judge Engeron displayed a great deal of patience as throughout the trial Defendant Trump had used microphones to inspire his minions to hate the judge, the prosecutors, and anyone else Mr. Trump saw as “the enemy.”
We must not ignore the conduct of Judge Cannon, the presiding judge in Donald's taking of classified documents trial. Though Judge Cannon is new and has never presided over such a case, anyone paying attention would realize that Judge Cannon has bent over backwards and twisted her interpretation of the law in Donald's favor. The list of decisions she has made that have been received with a sense between amazement and shock is longer than the space allowed here. All one needs to do is search for “Cannon makes a strange decision.”
The appeals court in New York offered another lifeline of sorts to Donald in his fraud trial in which he was found guilty of numerous instances of playing with the numbers and values of his properties depending upon whether the issue was taxes or loans. Judge Engeron's fine was reduced from the approximate $500 million to $175 million due within ten days dependent upon his success on appeal. The rest of the money in the penalty is in limbo. Other penalties placed upon Trump's businesses were also stayed. Ivan Boesky's $100 million fine, Bernie Madoff 's $170 billion in restitution, Wells Fargo's $3 billion in fines, and Enron's $105 million in forfeitures are just a few cases of the magnitude in which the defendants would have loved to have their fines potentially reduced by two-thirds.
Of course, Donald also has the advantage of his wealth that has allowed him to appeal anything and everything, often on legal bases with no credible foundation in law. This ability belongs only to the wealthy.
This grievance of Congressional Republicans that the United States has never treated a president as it is treating Mr. Trump fundamentally ignores the multiple instances above in which Donald is receiving benefits not available to most defendants. The flip side of that coin which the Congressional Republicans always ignore is that the United States has never experienced a president like Mr. Trump. No president inspired an attack upon the Congress by his most virulent supporters. No president watched such an attack and declared those attackers patriots. No president so combatively used the courts and every means possible, whether legal or not, to dismiss the results of an election that was not “rigged,” “fixed,” or “crooked.” No president threatened the existence of our democracy/republic, by refusing to accept his loss as losing candidates have done in every election for nearly 250 years. No president has been found guilty of raping a woman in a store. No president has been found guilty of massive fraud. The truth of the matter is that the flip side of the coin that Congressional Republicans and most Republicans cannot accept is the justification for all the civil and criminal actions against Mr. Trump.
The reality is that Donald's propensity to cheat, lie, commit fraud, abuse women, and threaten the core principles of our democracy/republic is why he is in the position he is. To grant a former president after his term, when he becomes a citizen just like you and me as far as the law is concerned, special treatment is an insult to the rule of law — period. Impelled by the principles of our Founding Fathers of equality under the law, Mr. Trump must be either proven guilty or be a free man. The law demands resolution. Equality under the law! If we must have one guiding light, this principle must be it.
Robert Haslag lives in Nixa.