Today’s verdict – finding a former president of the United States guilty on all counts – will prove to be an inflection point for the rule of law.
For those who share a reverence for the justice system, it is a moment of pride. We can take pride in members of a jury who gave up weeks of their lives to parse through mountains of evidence and worked to reach a verdict, knowing the scrutiny they will face for their result.
We can take pride in a judge who, notwithstanding a daily barrage of attacks on his integrity, refused to take the bait, focused entirely on the task at hand, and ran the courtroom with dispassion, intelligence, and courtesy towards all of the participants. And we can take pride in the court officers and other members of law enforcement who zealously protected that courtroom, knowing that the participants were under constant threat.
But this verdict is only one part of the test for our country. The assaults on every aspect of the process – a theme throughout the trial – picked up with renewed vigor after the verdict was read.
Leaders of this country who have spent weeks battering the justice system must decide whether they will sacrifice the foundation of our country now that the jury has spoken. The choice they have is fundamental. Will they speak for the rule of law or continue to undermine basic principles of our constitutional system, with possibly disastrous results?
We do not know what will happen in the days and weeks ahead, but we can be sure it will be consequential and will define this country for the ages. For now, we can take pride in the majesty of our justice system. And we will watch with trepidation – and hope – for what happens next.
Today the system worked. Our task ahead is to recognize our shared responsibility to protect democracy and the rule of law going forward.
Thank you for your support and for your dedication to maintaining our democracy.
Sincerely,
Lawyers Defending American Democracy
