Rittenhouse Attorney's Fury; No SCOTUSGATE Reinstatement? Friday's Pick Six
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Rittenhouse Attorney's Fury; No SCOTUSGATE Reinstatement? Friday's Pick Six
This country was founded by criminals, engaged in one of the largest and most successful criminal conspiracies in history. John Hancock, apparently, wanted dibs on being “Individual One.”
It was against the law to steal from the Crown. It still is. But our Founding Father Criminals got away with stealing an entire coastline. (They also stole it from the original owners but that was a crime against humanity, not case law, and is a different column).
It is perhaps for that reason that when they got around to writing a constitution and the laws that would apply to criminals, they weren’t thinking about a system that they wanted for “those people,” the people we think of as “that type,” the drug dealers, the tough guys, the thieves. No, when they got around to creating a criminal justice system, they wrote the one that they wanted for themselves, one that would protect them from the newly forming government of laws.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that they wanted real criminals to get away with crimes that they defined. But they wanted the system rigged against the government instead of the other way around. It is for this reason that when we think of the criminal justice system, we shouldn’t be thinking about the system we want to put “criminals” through. We should think about the system “we” want if we find ourselves charged and forced to “go through.” After all, we’re all criminals. Ever get a parking ticket? Skip the pedestrian walkway?
One can see the perfect dynamic as to how the perspective changes within six months. In the summer of 2020, the MAGAs were screaming in rapture when Trump said that destruction or defacing any federal building was an automatic ten years. (A ridiculous statement, the only “automatic” sentences are for some first-degree murderers). Just six months later they were breaking windows and lecterns in the United States Capitol to protest what they saw as government abuse, just as happened over the summer. But now the MAGAs are crying about the system’s injustices when they see it applied to themselves, rather than others.
The system is supposed to apply evenly, even when it isn’t. It is also supposed to always favor the defendant, even when it doesn’t.
Kyle Rittenhouse’s lawyer Mark Richardson swore an oath to the court when he entered the bar. He would follow the ethical rules as set out in his state and function in the manner contemplated by our founding fathers. Contrary to public perception, when lawyers deal with other lawyers or the court, they are some of the most ethical professionals one would ever meet. Dealing with the public or potential clients? Maybe not.
But with Rittenhouse, Mark Richards upheld his oath to zealously defend his client’s interests. He never wanted to, nor did he ever try, to represent a “cause.” And he has proven so after the fact.
He told Rittenhouse to go home and lay low. Instead, Rittenhouse went to Florida and went on television, demonstrating the lack of discipline, judgment, and agenda, that put him in that courtroom - and two people in the ground. Richards has called out those who are using Kyle. One gets the sense that he is doing it in part to get a message to his client, too - one he cannot say in public, and one already ignored in private.
As Business Insider quoted Richards as saying:
There's a lot of people trying to profit on this, and I don't think people should. They're raising money on it and you have all these Republican congressmen saying come work for me. They want to trade on his celebrity and I think it's disgusting.
Notice the people and the party he calls out, “Republicans.” And if Richards supported this “cause,” he wouldn’t be quite as offended that Rittenhouse has become the face of that cause.
No.
Much as many of us wish that Richards was preparing a motion for a new trial right now, while also starting on a sentencing brief and thinking about issues to appeal, the fact is that he did a good job. He did it, in part, because he focused on a client, not on a movement. The law concerning use of force in self-defense may need to change, to make it harder in a case like this. But the underlying structure, the constitution, and the tremendous burden on the government…
Remember, the system was set up to protect you, just as Richards saw his job as protecting a hypothetical “you.” It is nearly inconceivable that any of my readers would ever have to shoot someone in self-defense, or even threaten to punch someone, nor shoplift, or anything. But that doesn’t mean we cannot be falsely accused and it doesn’t mean we won’t get a speeding ticket. If any of us found ourselves in that position, we’ll be quite thankful for the system, the system we uphold to protect ourselves. We will also be quite thankful for the criminals who created that system.
We would also want a Mark Richards to represent us. You will be happy to know that, while he is much better than average, attorneys of his quality are not rare, either. They just do their job. We cannot fault him and - in a way, we can thank him. He has made it all too clear that he viewed the case as doing the job he swore to do and utterly rejected the “cause” it’s come to represent.
Damn: It Must Be Less Fun Being Mike Lindell When Even He Knows His Lawsuits Won’t Succeed.
One benefit to writing from the left is that no one will ever accuse you of being in it for the money and grifting. I suspect I could make $10 for every $1 that I make writing for the left. But then I would have to live in my body and my $200. It is so easy to make money from the MAGAs that Mike Lindell is still doing it!
He had proposed a SCOTUS lawsuit that would end with the SCOTUS ruling that Trump would be reinstated. This, of course, is insane. The Supreme Court cannot do such a thing, no matter how much Bush v. Gore might have appeared to be such a ruling.
Evidently, plans went awry. But Mike still plans on making money off it, don’t worry:
So that happened, and it’s a bit too bad because Mike Flynn went through the trouble of making the creepiest fffffking video of all time promoting the lawsuit. It is Black Friday, not Halloween, be ready if you click on it. It is scary AF:
I warned you.
And yet somehow, they will still make money. Good news, though! Yesterday we had our largest one-day subscriber sign-up to date. It was fantastic to invite forty something new people to our community. As all know, this newsletter remains free and will for the near future.
EVERY Subscriber is invited to contact me with thoughts, suggestions, ideas, criticism, anything. I have readers who’ve contacted me from Broome Australia (1250 miles north of Perth), India, Scotland, among many other places. I answer every correspondence: jmiciak@yahoo.com and @JasonMiciak
NOW EVERYONE’S FAVORITE, THE FRIDAY PICK SIX:
Best Football Game of the Weekend: Ohio State v. Michigan, 12:00 EST FOX
Quote of the Week: St. Augustine: “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”
Best Science Video of the Week: Why is consciousness so baffling (Scientists don’t get it, not even close)
MUCH ADO YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO: Smashing Pumpkins “1979” Live:
FUNNIEST DOG VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Oh, Come On!
Random Thoughts
Gonzaga beats Duke tonight to go 3-0 over top 5 teams, and then will inexplicably lose to someone later in the year.
I do not think Trump will run in 2024. I think the loss haunts him so much. One loss and he can say it was rigged. Two losses… He won’t take the chance.
Thai curry chicken/beef is one of the easiest dishes to make and look impressive: Stir fry, add coconut milk and curry to taste
Popcorn should be made in a pot or not made. Microwave popcorn is flavored styrofoam
Four week old puppies for daughters are VERY hard work. But sort of worth it. Just not at 4:30 a.m. when they are crying to get out of the box and pee.
I must be the only person on earth who watched half an episode of Squid Games and had the doll with the gun creep me out so ffff much I never watched another minute.
Rep. Katie Porter is one of the top five Democratic pols in Washington and too many don’t know who she is.
Happy Weekend
Jason Miciak: Much Ado About Everything
jmiciak@yahoo.com and on Twitter @Jason Miciak
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