AND JUSTICE FOR ..........er ........SOME OF US

In the classic film, 12 Angry Men, an undecided juror questions the collective wisdom of his jury in reaching a verdict. This lone voice does not believe the jury analyzed the evidence in a judicious and appropriate way. Actually, he believes many of his colleagues were rash, quick to judge and lazy in their thinking. Eventually, this dissenter, through reason and the use of persuasion is able to sway the opinion of the entire jury and receive a not guilty ruling for the defendant. During the trial, this juror was not depicted pursuing his own self-interest. Instead, the character was detached, seeking truth, justice and was seriously approaching his role as an objective citizen, evaluating the evidence and rendering a thoughtful and just decision. The juror was ensuring the accused received due process and equal protection of the laws which are guaranteed by the 5th and 14th Amendments. At the end of the film, the rule of law is victorious over passion, and a careless, impulsive jury. Justice, reason and objectivity prevail, which affirm the ideals of American justice. Which brings us to the Michael Sussman case. Sussman, a lawyer, who like our friend, the juror, in 12 Angry Men would cast himself as a dutiful citizen. In Sussman’s case, he brought evidence to the FBI, claiming candidate Donald Trump had an unethical relationship with a Russian bank. Sussman claims he was taking action in the name of disinterestedness, doing what was best for the civil society with nothing of material to gain for himself. Sussman’s detractors, on the contrary, argued this action was just a ruse and Sussman was really working in conjunction with the Hillary Clinton campaign to smear Trump and advance the candidacy of Hillary and later the agenda of the Democratic Party. At issue here is not the merits of the case, but the perspective of the American people. The 5th and 14th Amendments guarantee due process and the equal protection of the laws. Unlike the result of 12 Angry Men, today, many Americans believe a 2 tiered system of law has become prevalent in American jurisprudence. On one side, we find those who are on the Left, meaning supporters of the Left and its causes as well as those of certain protected groups. Here, the application of the law is very loose with some being treated more equally than others. You only need to look at the case of former Obama Administration IRS Director of Tax Exempt Organizations, Lois Lerner. The IRS under Lerner’s oversight was accused by Congress of targeting conservative groups seeking tax exempt status but the US Attorney decided not to seek any charges against Lerner and the issue gradually fell from the radar. In more recent times, there has been a complete lack of interest on the part of the Justice Department, as well as the elite media, to look into the many suspicious activities of Hunter Biden and by extension the absolute neglect given to Joe Biden’s part in these overseas business activities, despite growing evidence to the contrary. In each of these examples, one can argue there is a double standard and an absence of the application of the law. But I have digressed and let us return to Sussman and the aftermath of his trial. After his acquittal, many outside of the mainstream media were questioning the process of jury selection. Within the Sussman jury, there was the presence of Democratic donors and even friends of Sussman’s children, and this does not even take into account the idea of having a trial in a predominantly Democratic city. The concept of a non-biased jury seems almost laughable and you can imagine a comedian creating a sketch whereby jurors are listening to testimony sporting Hillary 2016 buttons while passing the hat with Democratic campaign donations. If this is the present legal remedy, then what is the future of American justice? If the populace believes that certain segments are and will forever be above the law, what faith will people have in the governing institutions sustaining due process and the equal protection of the laws? A republic is supposed to be ruled by the people through a system of law. If the fabric of law comes apart what will the people do? Let us hope, a lone juror in the form of 12 Angry Men will stand up and say that enough is enough and restore a system of equal justice.