Lawmakers to Scale Back Bail Law

 Bail laws are only as effective and humane as the judges who employ them. It is a given that far too many people have been incarcerated unnecessarily and for too long when facing minor or nonviolent offenses because of their lack of means. The blame for that fact rests primarily on judges who had the authority to release the accused without bail but lacked the gumption to do so. That circumstance justified laws proscribing cash bail in appropriate cases.

The Achilles’s Heel of those laws, which made them lose public support and has led to their revision, was their failure to empower judges to set bail when the facts demonstrated that an accused posed a danger to public safety. While that deficiency should be remedied, in reality it will make little difference. Notwithstanding their lack of express authority, most judges tacitly weigh the danger when fixing bail. The revised law should codify that practice.
However, the criminal justice system will only achieve just ends when the men and women who preside have the good judgment and courage to implement it fairly.

How to Make Trump Go Away

 In his column Frank Luntz purports to advise those who would challenge Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination for president. His bottom line, champion the Trump policies but offer a more stable, less controversial personality.

It is surprising that Mr. Luntz, a long-time political pollster who claims to have his finger on the pulse of the American voter, can so badly misread what has been motivating voters and driving elections. He makes no mention of the issues most concerning to even Trump supporters.
Any potential candidate who fails to recognize that the assault on women’s reproductive rights, the rejection of sensible gun regulation and the mistreatment of minorities, racial and sexual, are the issues of paramount importance, cannot win a presidential election.

There's Precedent For Ousting Justice Thomas

 The disgraceful behavior of Justice Clarence Thomas was foretold by his sexual harassment of Anita Hill which should have precluded his appointment to the Supreme Court.

By ruling on matters in which his wife has an interest and by accepting lavish gifts from the extraordinarily wealthy, with whose interests Justice Thomas regularly aligns, and by failing to disclose them, the Justice has demonstrated an utter indifference to ethical standards and has made a singular contribution to the erosion of the reputation of the Supreme Court.
Even more troubling, however, is the lack of outrage from Republicans whose silence in the face of so devastating an assault on the rule of law is deafening.

Trump Courtroom Spectacle

 

Two letters published in today’s NYTimes really rankled. One writer, concerned about diminishing the presidency and undermining America’s moral standing in the world, expresses his sincere hope that Trump is not guilty. My friend, America was disgraced and diminished when it provided the required number of electoral votes to deliver the presidency to a lifelong charlatan devoid of moral decency.
To the gentleman from Pennsylvania who proudly proclaims that 75 percent of his county voted for Trump in 2016 and, again, in 2020, and “shames” New York City for prosecuting a former president for his criminality, I say, no sir, the shame is yours and your fellow enablers who brought this blight upon our nation and, even after the depth of Trump’s depravity was fully exposed, attempted to keep him in office.