US Justice

Tracy Hunter was a Juvenile Court judge in Ohio. Female. Young-ish. Her brother got into some stuff and Judge Hunter abused her position to provide him with documents that she should not have. And then she lied about it. She was bad. She got charged with 8 counts of abusing her position. Convicted of one. She lost her job and was immediately sentenced to six months in jail and a year of probation. A smidge harsh but not brutal. It was appealed. Again and again it was appealed. Her case went on for five years. Three years ago, they literally dragged her out of the courtroom to put her in jail. She was not resisting – they just chose to drag her.

No question that she was a guilty judge. No question she abused her power to help her brother. There’s a price to pay for that…….

Now, make a mental leap. Leap over 4 years of outrageous incompetence in the presidency, leap over the insurrection at the capitol on January 6th. Leap over the corruption of the Supreme Court and the dozens of co-conspirators trying to take the country down an authoritarian path. And leap over the fact that Trump alienated NATO, the North American partnership and, in so doing, killed millions with inaction on Covid, abuse of Mexican children in cages and abandoning the Kurds to the slaughter by Turks. Ignore Stormy, Kim, Putin and Roger Stone. Instead, just focus on Trump’s handling of boxes of classified documents, the lies associated with that and the impact those documents might have in the wrong hands.

Trump is walking freely, eating Big Macs and riding in a golf cart. Trump has a secret service detail. Trump holds rallies around the country. Tracy Hunter, bad girl, went to jail. Mind you, Tracy Hunter, bad girl, was and still is black.

Is it just that simple? Really? Rich, white guy gets special treatment, young-ish black woman goes to jail? Is it really that simple? I do not think it is that simple. There are reasons Garland is slow to act. There was likely a reason the guards dragged Ms Hunter from the courtroom. There are reasons that really bad behaviour that is virtually world threatening is treated differently than really bad behaviour that was exercised to save an underserving brother. I am sure about that……

…….but we have all seen the monumental ignorance so manifest in the USA. We have all been stunned by the stupidity of MAGA supporters. They do not see much of anything. We have all been exposed to the relentless revealing of wrong-doing by one man and now seeing the rather mundane act of family members protecting each other in comparison. Can anyone – even accounting for procedures and lawyers – really see justice being practiced there? Would any one of you want to be held vulnerable in that same system?

Imagine how that must play out to those who don’t read, think or have any knowledge of the larger issues. All they do is watch Fox. Black woman goes to jail, white guy golfs. Imagine how even educated black people see that dichotomy, that gross inequality of justice.

Imagine how US Justice looks to the rest of the world.

13 thoughts on “US Justice

    • You are right. It’s everywhere. A very old El Salvadoran refugee friend of mine went in to a Nissan dealership in Surrey to rent a car. He doesn’t speak English. They ‘sold him’ a new Sentra. After a few days, he took it back – ready to pay his rental bill. His old car had been repaired. They refused to talk to him. He was hysterical. A mutual friend took me. I had just finished doing a contract for The Ministry of Consumer Affairs. I offered them my card, mentioned that the old guy did not speak English and suggested that Consumer Protection might come in to play. Yes, I told them I was no longer with the ministry but the card tells them I know what I am talking about. Everything fixed within minutes. Different standards even here in BC. Did another similar one back in the day when A Vietnamese refugee went in to rent a scooter, came out riding a new Honda 750. But he then put his wife and three children on it and went cruising. Police stopped him. Same ‘different standard’ scenario from the Honda outlet. But the court was involved this time so it went as easily.

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  1. Here’s the really scary thing! There are people who think the same as the MAGA’s who are living next door to you! I know there are people where I live, and I would be willing to bet that those types are next door to you as well. The issues are different but the mentality is the same.

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    • I am sure we have a couple of Maga-nuts out here but the area is pretty NDP-ish. Used to be Green. Still, I have met a few racist, bigoted, ignorant fools even out here. and they just ‘show up’ now and then. I have no idea how all that happens. The internet basement creatures, no doubt. Hannity, Carlson, et al. But, geez, how stupid do you have to be to listen and believe those fools?

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  2. I think the key word here is “rich”
    Money hires the best lawyers.
    Color of your skin may count with the “Po-lice” but once you’re in Court and the lawyers start wrangling……
    Money talks bullsh!t walks.
    O.J.Simpson got away with murder.
    Case closed.

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  3. I believe that you are a bit off on this rant. It took 5 years to get a corrupt judge into jail (color has no regard here) she was exercising her rights in a democratic country. How long do you think a corrupt ex president can hold out, considering that 49% of them love and adore it. Justice is very slow in the US and Canada, we tend to make less mistakes (slower) so not quite so bad. If you have a better way please advise.

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    • Good points. Valid. Maybe. But consider the scope of the crime. That was really my point. She erred at a level one, maybe as high as a three. Trump erred more. 100+. Yes, she delayed. Yes she exercised her rights….but Trump stole top secret documents that exposed personnel and risked national security. She tried to protect her brother. She was charged and convicted quickly. He hasn’t been charged. Yes it took five years for her to go to jail but she was tried and convicted quickly. Trump has not even been deposed. Sorry, buddy, ya missed the point or….well, maybe I wrote it up wrong.

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  4. Sorry, you seem to think that the orange beast is just guilty
    of committing some/many/ any criminal offenses. Remember the beast is smart. Nothing has come to light that can convict a former president of any CRIMINAL charges(only this can prevent him from running again). There are lots and lots of people trying, give them time, its got to be bomb proof as its never been done or even thought about. Also every thing after” her rights….” but Trump stole top secret documents that exposed personnel and risked national security.”is just your interpretation of the latest news feed. Shame on you for such shallowness of thought, you are usually more progressive, remember even the lowest of mankind has the equal right to innocent until proven guilty.
    “Section 11(d) protects the innocent in two ways. First, section 11(d) guarantees the right of any person charged with an offence to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Second, section 11(d) guarantees that the process whereby the guilt of any accused will be proved, will be fair”.
    Are you being fair?? Have you searched beyond your testosterone high??

    Don’t get me wrong, he is an asshole the world does not need , but it needs to deal with very, very, transparently..
    Just saying….

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    • Well, damnit, you are basically right. Mostly. Innocent until proven guilty of a crime. I’ll give you that. On the other hand, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is very, very, very likely to BE a duck.
      Am I being fair? No. I am not. Not legally fair, anyway. I hated the dickhead from the get-go and watched with disgust his desecration of the White House, the presidency and democracy. Stacking the Supreme Court with liars didn’t impress me much either. But here is where you are wrong: I am NOT a judge. I am NOT a prosecuting attorney. I have not even been personally harmed like the now-deceased Kurds or Cividiots who listened to him. I am merely a blogger-with-an-opinion. I am allowed to have that opinion. I am definitely playing within the rules of the blogger game. But calling me on it is also fair dinkum in the blogger-game. So, thanks. Good argument. I am technically chastised but not gonna back off. I still hate the bastard and will say so. Furthermore, I’d say it to his face.
      Nice to see ya takin’ the high road. Good on ya. I’m lookin’ up and walking the low road. I have to. If he gets off on anything, it will not change my opinion of him. Thus, it is the low road for me.

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      • I’m with you Dave.
        Trump is a compulsive liar, wrapped in a narcissistic ego bigger than the Towers he pretends to own.

        Patience.
        His former CEO or 20+ years has been found guilty of fraud and faces decades behind bars.
        The same CEO has agree to testify against Trump and his family for a sentence reduction.
        Trumps sons and daughter have also been charged.
        Lets see which one of his cannibalistic offspring decides, “Daddy goes first”.

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        • Well, down for fraud is actually a surprise to me. The man is almost 60 years a fraudster, grifter, liar and cheat so it seemed as if that was just not serious enough to warrant any serious ‘Justice’ against him. But then there was Georgia and ‘the just find me 11,780 votes’ which is clearly election interference. I thought Georgia might get ’em.
          January 6th was a real obstruction of everything election and people died. Surely that would get him. A president led insurrection complete with slates of fake electors in the shadows. That’s beyond anything even remotely normal crime. And then Trump stole top secret papers and then lied about ’em and then lied about ’em again and then told his lawyers to lie about them and now still has some of the classified docs! Surely all that would sink the bastard deeper than the Marianna Trench.
          And yet, as Scott points out, “Not a single charge. Innocent until proven guilty.” Watching his minions fall is nowhere near satisfying. Those ugly dorks just did it for the money. But destroying people, countries, democracies and doing it all for ego is somehow even worse for me. But as Bartle and James so nicely put it, “Thank you for your support.”

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          • New York State Attorney General has charged Trump and his children with multiple fraud counts.
            It stems from his inflated estimates of his real estate holdings.
            They over estimated the value of their buildings, their rent receipts, etc.
            Trump received very large bank loans based on those suspect evaluations.
            He also received tax incentives to the value of $250 million dollars.
            Major Fraud.
            If he or his kids are found guilty…someone is going to jail and paying huge fines.
            I highly doubt Trump would ever rot in prison but just seeing his entire financial empire unravel would be more than worth it.
            The man is poison.
            A political viper.

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        • The reason I am surprised that the fraud case (brought by L. James) is looking good is two-fold. One, there is a statute of limitations in NY (6 years, I believe) and he has been somewhat preoccupied for the recent 6 years, anyway. AND inflating property values for the sake of getting a bank loan is standard fare in the entire real estate industry – even here in pure and sanctified Canada! Now, to be fair, devaluing for tax purposes is much more rare but pumping real estate values benefits banks, insurance companies and government so it has been widely tolerated for decades if not longer. I really thought that the case would not be the first success (if it is).

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