Donald Trump’s conviction is merely a senseless act of violence.
After years of endeavoring, as the judge phrased it, “to get the damned rascal in this court,” the conviction was met with approval by many.
However, those words did not come from Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, and the guilty verdict was not against former President Donald Trump.
They were actually spoken by US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase at the end of the 18th century when political prosecutions were used to target critics and opponents in America.
The individual on trial at that time was James T. Callender, a journalist who criticized President John Adams.
Callender was fined $200 and imprisoned for alleging corruption among politicians.
This was just one of many political prosecutions carried out during the Adams administration.
Incontrovertible truth
Political prosecutions are typically associated with dictatorships by most citizens.
Yet, the Trump trial has confronted many with the undeniable reality of the politicization of the legal system in our country.
In various ways, President Biden and Democrats have revived the Adams era.
Biden has advocated for the censorship of political dissent and his administration has played a role in suppressing and marginalizing individuals with differing viewpoints.
Democratic officials have pressured social media platforms to act on behalf of the government by censoring, restricting, and defunding individuals and organizations.
In fact, I have previously remarked that Biden is the most anti-free-speech president since Adams.
The Adams era also saw similar blind loyalty from many media outlets.
Publications aligned with the Federalists endorsed the crackdowns while endorsing accusations against political opponents as seditionists and insurrectionists.
Publications like those of the Jeffersonians, including Callender’s, criticized Adams for his “unbounded thirst for ridiculous pomp, foolish adulation, and selfish avarice.”
The nation was sharply divided as both sides branded each other as traitors and insurrectionists. Does this sound familiar?
A disturbing comeback
However, it is the politicization of the legal system that marks the most chilling resurgence to the Adams era.
Even liberal legal experts have acknowledged that the case against Trump was unprecedented and would not have been pursued against anyone other than Trump.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig recently highlighted concerns about the appointment (not random selection) of a judge who is not only a Biden supporter but someone who has directed contributions to “resisting the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s radical right-wing legacy.”
Further concerns arise from the transfer of a senior Biden Justice Department official to the team of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to build the case against Trump.
Prior to joining the case, Matthew Colangelo had also been compensated by the Democratic National Committee for political consulting services.
Therefore, Trump faced his trial with a judge who supports Biden, whose daughter is heavily involved in Democratic politics, a lead prosecutor who was previously paid by the DNC, and a jury selected from a district where approximately 90% voted against Trump.
The trial itself was a mockery.
Even after observing the trial and the verdict in the courtroom, it remains unclear what Trump was convicted of in the case.
The charges were built upon an expired misdemeanor due to the statute of limitations.
It was resurrected by claiming that the falsification of business records was aimed at unlawfully influencing the 2016 presidential election.
Merchan informed the jurors that they did not need to agree on the specific unlawful means employed.
In essence, he allowed them to base their verdict on any of three broadly defined offenses: federal election violation, falsification of business records, or tax violations.
As such, the jury could have been split 4-4-4 on the actual events, yet Merchan still treated the verdict as unanimous to convict Trump.
Revolting and unnerving
Yet, in deep-blue Manhattan, those details seemed insignificant.
Legal experts and commentators openly praised the outcome on MSNBC and CNN – along with many celebrating in the streets.
This was a prosecution driven by thrill, and the media’s response bordered on the improper.
For many outside of Manhattan, the scene was disgusting and alarming.
One can detest Donald Trump while still being appalled by the exploitation of the legal system for political ends.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. We have withstood political prosecutions during the Adams and Jefferson administrations.
Eventually, our system rectified such abuses over time.
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Ultimately, we are capable of being better than this.
Jonathan Turley is an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.
