Our legal system presumes a person innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sometimes, that's quite a presumption.
But for a basic assumption to be fair, it is essential to assume some things be true until proven otherwise.
Currently, several legal systems in the United States of America face that principle as prosecutors gather evidence about the doings of a former national president.
Another assumption: A high ranking government official is no different, legally, than any other citizen and is not immune from prosecution when and if that person breaks a law -- civil or criminal, federal or state.
Some people, however, believe their wealth and status make them immune from prosecution.
They are wrong.
But their wealth does enable them to hire others to argue for him, if only to delay the process.
Argue, argue, argue.
Talk, talk, talk.
Debate, debate, debate.
Delay, delay, delay.
Stall, stall, stall.
And sometimes, that strategy encourages them to lie, lie, lie.
In a court of law, however, that last strategy is disallowed, even as each contestant hires skilled debaters to argue for them, and a presiding official judges which side has the better argument.
That doesn't always mean the winning side is right. Sometimes, it only means they were more skillful at arguing.
One way to get around that problem is to have a jury of otherwise ordinary citizens decide who has the better argument for guilt or innocence.
Again, that doesn't always mean the prosecution is right; only that they are more skilled at presenting a better argument.
There is also the issue of bias, racial or otherwise. That, however, is a separate argument. Bias -- racial or otherwise -- should not exist.
Even so, it does. But that, however, is yet another social issue.
Currently, American courts are hearing accusations that a former president broke several laws on several occasions in several states on several levels.
Presume innocent until proven guilty.
He is not, however, exempt from prosecution and cannot change any law on his own say-so, just as he cannot declassify any top-secret documents simply by thinking about it.
And as much as he might like to have as much power as a king might have over national affairs, as people in New Jersey often say, "Ain't gonna happen."
It is now up to the court system to abide by the founding principles of the nation and decide his guilt or innocence.
As prosecutors are fond of saying, no one is above the law. And as much as this former president might like to be, he ain't.
Sometimes, that's quite a presumption.
But for a basic assumption to be fair, it is essential to assume some things be true until proven otherwise.
Currently, several legal systems in the United States of America face that principle as prosecutors gather evidence about the doings of a former national president.
Another assumption: A high ranking government official is no different, legally, than any other citizen and is not immune from prosecution when and if that person breaks a law -- civil or criminal, federal or state.
Some people, however, believe their wealth and status make them immune from prosecution.
They are wrong.
But their wealth does enable them to hire others to argue for him, if only to delay the process.
Argue, argue, argue.
Talk, talk, talk.
Debate, debate, debate.
Delay, delay, delay.
Stall, stall, stall.
And sometimes, that strategy encourages them to lie, lie, lie.
In a court of law, however, that last strategy is disallowed, even as each contestant hires skilled debaters to argue for them, and a presiding official judges which side has the better argument.
That doesn't always mean the winning side is right. Sometimes, it only means they were more skillful at arguing.
One way to get around that problem is to have a jury of otherwise ordinary citizens decide who has the better argument for guilt or innocence.
Again, that doesn't always mean the prosecution is right; only that they are more skilled at presenting a better argument.
There is also the issue of bias, racial or otherwise. That, however, is a separate argument. Bias -- racial or otherwise -- should not exist.
Even so, it does. But that, however, is yet another social issue.
Currently, American courts are hearing accusations that a former president broke several laws on several occasions in several states on several levels.
Presume innocent until proven guilty.
He is not, however, exempt from prosecution and cannot change any law on his own say-so, just as he cannot declassify any top-secret documents simply by thinking about it.
And as much as he might like to have as much power as a king might have over national affairs, as people in New Jersey often say, "Ain't gonna happen."
It is now up to the court system to abide by the founding principles of the nation and decide his guilt or innocence.
As prosecutors are fond of saying, no one is above the law. And as much as this former president might like to be, he ain't.
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