NOTE for those of you unfamiliar with blogs RUMPOLE did not write this post! Guest blogger Scott Saul did. We have no problem with what President Biden did. And we hope he follows it up with hundreds of more pardons and commutations for people serving long drug related sentences. And to our Swifty fan – try reading before attacking. Less time on Snap and TikTok and more time reading books.
For everyone within the criminal justice system that aspires to simply do a “proper job”, how is it possible to coincide what we all should be aiming for, with the arbitrary favoritism exemplified by the executive pardon of Hunter Biden…or all the other friends and family of presidents, that are rewarded with a get-out-of-jail-for-free card?
Hunter Biden’s past conduct appears to be that of a degenerate that benefited simply by his last name and the connections that comes with it. As a family man, I cannot condone his lifestyle yet, at the same time, I have never seen a firearm prosecution like the one he went through. I have always viewed his conviction with skepticism but, at the same time, being a Monday morning quarterback doesn’t equate to being fully knowledgeable about the entire situation. The gun charge seemed to be a farce…but the failure to pay taxes…those are usually cut and dry cases.
However, whatever my personal feeling is about a case, the proper protocol is usually the jury has spoken and an unhappiness with a verdict is supposed to be left to the purview of the appellate system. That regular protocol is fine from a theoretical standpoint, yet this $%^&in’ (remember…my french) pardon system can embody a sickening , disproportionate style of justice that is no different from a blatant caste system. With laws [theoretically] designed to create consistency with the application of the law, that blindfold upon Lady Justice looks awfully transparent. How can these arbitrary pardons be reconciled with what goes on in any courthouse? While I know it is improper to compare cases, doesn’t the institutionalized disproportion of cases trigger due process concerns for all ? What happens when a similarly situated defendant remarks, “Why am I being prosecuted when Hunter Biden was able to have his day in court and, despite the verdict, just get a pardon?
Can you blame a person’s dissatisfaction and distrust with authority where there are clearly different standards depending on your DNA ? Would it be fair to argue that the government-promoted, disproportionate treatment of a defendant is an affront to the whole criminal justice system? I realize that this favoritism has always existed yet the ever increasing technology thrusts this issue into the public’s face more intensively than ever. Can you believe that last night, every network interrupted their regular broadcast for a “special report” on this event? I thought something substantial, like WWIII was going on.
Look, as a father, I would do anything to protect my children and I do not blame President Biden for doing what he did; however, as a dedicated criminal defense attorney, I am repulsed.