A New Low For Supreme Court
Decision To Consider Trump's Immunity Claim Further Tarnishes Reputation
Also on today’s menu:
McConnell Not Extreme Enough For MAGA Republicans
Keville Found Guilty Of Double Homicide
Many of you have given up on friends and family who continue to support the former president. I think now is the time to reengage, to have respectful conversations about their views in hopes they’ll let you share some of yours. We can choose carefully. Sometimes, it’s enough to plant seeds of doubt that can grow further on their own. I’m seeing that happen with more frequency. A friend who has always voted Republican, who twice voted for Trump, now says that not only will he not vote for Trump again, instead of just staying home he’s going to vote for Biden because he’s realized he cares more about the country than he does about the Republican party.
— Joyce Vance
The US Supreme Court’s decision to take up Donald Trump’s claim that, as president, any actions he might take, from undermining elections to potentially killing a political rival, are protected acts subject to presidential immunity, demonstrate that the court no longer is interested in upholding the US Constitution. What little respect the court maintained has now been squandered. Instead of accepting the lower-court decision that a former president who committed serious crimes is not immune from prosecution, the Supreme Court has agreed to take up the matter on a slow timeline that all but guarantees that, even if Trump goes to trial on the criminal charges, it will not be until just before the end of the campaign season. Some voters may be casting ballots before a verdict is reached.
As Joyce Vance notes, “The Supreme Court can move quickly, but it has shown little desire to in this matter. It could have heard this case directly on appeal from the district court — the Special Counsel asked them to, and they declined. [They took 16 days to grant certiorari.] They could have expedited the briefing schedule here and put it on a much tighter timeline. But they didn’t.”
The schedule the court did determine: “The case will be set for oral argument during the week of April 22, 2024. Petitioner's brief on the merits, and any amicus curiae briefs in support or in support of neither party, are to be filed on or before Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Respondent’s brief on the merits, and any amicus curiae briefs in support, are to be filed on or before Monday, April 8, 2024. The reply brief, if any, is to be filed on or before 5 p.m., Monday, April 15, 2024.”
Discussion: Justice Clarence Thomas, whose wife helped to promote lies about the validity of the 2020 election, should have recused himself from consideration of any cases involving Trump’s attempt to remain in power, but he has not done so. That alone tarnishes the image of the Supreme Court. To consider “Whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office,” the court already taints the case, since allegations of attempting to steal an election can never be considered to involve official acts. Finally, extending the timeline for briefs when there already is a record of the arguments in the lower-court simply gives Trump more time to avoid a conviction and, if he manages to get elected, he will be able to avoid the consequences of his crimes.
McConnell Not Extreme Enough For MAGA Republicans
After Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he would step down from his leadership position in November, the House Freedom Caucus posted, “Our thoughts are with our Democrat colleagues in the Senate on the retirement of their Co-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (D-Ukraine). No need to wait till November…Senate Republicans should IMMEDIATELY elect a *Republican* Minority Leader.”
Even though McConnell embraced party over country, manipulating Senate rules to cut taxes and regulations, seeking to make Barack Obama a one-term president, ramming through two conservative Supreme Court justices after holding up a candidate supported by Democrats, and agreeing to Trump’s so-called emergency funding for a border wall, he is now considered a Republican In Name Only because his party has been taken over by supporters of Donald Trump.
During the Conservative Political Action Conference at which Trump appeared to forget his wife’s name, calling Melania “Mercedes”, conservative activist and Trump supporter Jack Posobiec — who helped popularize the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory — greeted the group by saying, “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely.”
Discussion: In announcing that he would step down as minority leader, McConnell said he recognized that his ideals no longer match those of the Republican Party. “Believe me,” he said, “I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them.”
Keville Found Guilty Of Double Homicide
A Coos County Superior Court Grand Jury has found Craig Keville, 35, guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Holly Banks, 28, and Keith LaBelle, 42, inside Banks’ Gorham home on April 27, 2022. They also found him guilty on three charges of falsifying physical evidence, a bill of sale for a Ruger 9E gun, a soft-cover gun case, and the weapon used in the crime. Keville also was found guilty of simple assault when he grabbed Banks’ cell phone from her.
An autopsy found that Banks died by a single shot to the back of her head, while LaBelle died of eight gunshot wounds to vital organs. Prosecutors said Keville was motivated by rage and jealousy after Banks, his former girlfriend, broke up with him and started a new relationship with LaBelle.
Attorney-General John Formella said, “Today’s verdict delivers justice for Holly Banks and Keith LaBelle, and our hearts go out to their families and all those who knew and loved them. I extend my sincere thanks to our trial team, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Gorham Police Department for their tireless and excellent work on this case.”
Discussion: Although defense attorneys claimed that the police did not do a thorough enough investigation to prove that Keville and not another male suspect was responsible for Banks’ and LaBelle’s deaths, the jury considered the evidence strong enough. Sentencing is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 5.
Café Chatter
On ‘Back Home Again’: With a decent population of “still undecided” voters, I think it’s important to call out Donald Trump on his “antics”. You never know who your message might resonate with!
I personally feel that those of us who do not support him need to start (or continue) fighting the good fight, and not be complacent about this man’s behavior. Yes, there are those who are committed to not hearing facts or accepting truths ... a sad reality I will never understand ... but I also think they are outnumbered.
Social media has become a breeding ground for misinformation and, as one friend put it, “has allowed people to be the worst versions of themselves, hiding behind a computer screen”, allowing them to judge others and spread hate. In the same manner, I’m a firm believer in pushing back, and essentially saying “That’s not ok, and here’s why...”
As a person who seeks out independent media sources for my information, I enjoy your fact-based, often thought-provoking articles! Keep up the good work!
— Karey
On ‘Tear It Down’: Thank you for the informative and interesting article on the parsonage — and it being one of the four definitive corners (anchors) of the Square. It brings to mind the song: “…You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. You take paradise and put up a parking lot.”
— Susan Duncan