Donald Trump cannot be allowed to delay justice | Editorial
The former president's lawyers argue that putting him on trial before the election "would result in a miscarriage of justice." The opposite is true.
Donald Trump — who has spent his life acting as if the laws do not apply to him — has come up with a novel defense to delay his criminal trial on charges of illegally taking 31 classified documents and obstructing the federal government’s repeated efforts to get them back: He’s too busy to come to court.
In a 12-page filing, Trump’s lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to postpone his trial indefinitely because he is booked solid campaigning through the 2024 presidential election. “This undertaking requires a tremendous amount of time and energy, and that effort will continue until the election on Nov. 5, 2024,” they wrote.
Trump’s lawyers argued that putting the former one-term president on trial before the election “would result in a miscarriage of justice.”
In fact, the opposite is true.
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Trump has access to a $100 million private jet and millions of dollars in defense funds, thanks to gullible donors. He should have no problem preparing for trial or getting to court while on the campaign trail.
More importantly, the public’s right to a speedy trial is paramount. Voters need to hear all the facts surrounding the serious allegations against Trump before they go to the polls. And they need to know if a jury convicts or acquits Trump. As Richard Nixon said just weeks before he resigned, the “people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook.”
Prosecutors asked for the trial to begin on Dec. 11 and said it would last about three weeks. Trump, who has been involved in more than 4,000 lawsuits, is famous for seeking legal delays.
The trial will be held in Florida, which is known for moving cases along quickly. All eyes will be on Judge Cannon, who was appointed by Trump at the end of his term and had presided over just a handful of cases.
Cannon’s rulings will be closely watched, given her earlier surprise decisions that favored Trump but were reversed by a conservative appeals court. Judges have wide discretion in setting trial dates, picking juries, the pace of the proceedings, and what evidence is presented.
Some argue that holding the trial before the election will further politicize the legal proceedings. But there is no way to untangle the politics from Trump’s self-inflicted legal woes, no matter when the trial is held. That’s because Trump and his Republican allies recklessly inject politics into every investigation of the former president.
Trump continually lashes out at Jack Smith, the special counsel leading the documents investigation as well as a separate probe into Trump’s role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Trump has also blamed President Joe Biden for his indictment, claiming — without any evidence — that the “sitting president had his top political opponent arrested.” (Ironically, it was Trump as president — with the help of former Attorney General Bill Barr — who used the U.S. Justice Department as his political tool.)
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Now, Trump has ramped up his attacks on the FBI and the Justice Department. He got help last week from Republicans in Congress, whose hearing with Trump-appointed FBI Director Christopher Wray looked like something from the Joe McCarthy era.
The constant assault on the rule of law by Trump and the GOP is a reminder that American democracy is still at grave risk. While holding Trump’s trial before the election will undoubtedly test the legal and political system, waiting until after the election poses an even bigger challenge.
Trump’s own advisers have reportedly said he is running for president to essentially stay out of prison. If elected, he could try to pardon himself or get his attorney general to drop the charges. It is clear that Trump’s grievance-filled campaign is not about helping everyday Americans, but about helping himself.
Justice delayed would be justice denied. See you in court, Mr. Trump.