I fail to see why the action by Defendant Michael Roman in trying to get the DA disqualified from his case should be regarded as anything other than an egregiously dilatory attempt to muddy the waters and postpone not only Roman’s day of reckoning but that of his guiding light, the failed insurrectionist.
Commenters in other postings, notably Robert Hubbell’s Today’s Edition and Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American, have commented that Ms. Willis is entitled to and richly deserves a break from the pressure she’s faced admirably for the last two years. If Mr. Wade provides that relief, he deserves our thanks just for that and, if his legal expertise provides for a more effective prosecution the situation is a clear win-win for the people of Fulton County, Georgia, and the U.S. If, in the worst-case scenario, the prosecution is unsuccessful, Ms. Willis may face questions from her employers and supervisors about the propriety of the fees apparently being paid to Mr. Wade for his work as an attorney, but nothing else that has been presented so far warrants public notice or commentary.
Mr. Roman’s attorney has argued that Mr. Wade’s lack of experience as a RICO prosecutor is de facto evidence of impropriety on Ms. Willis’s part, but having an inexperienced opponent would, in most cases, be viewed as an asset and opportunity by the advantaged side. Nothing else, whether lavish vacations, significant fees, despite their being less than his normal billing rate, or any of the other arguments that have so far become public are anything other than personal business and should be treated as such by Judge McAfee and, almost as importantly, by the commercial press. It has already been taken far too seriously, although it clearly accrues to the benefit of the media to have their primary generator of revenue for the past 8 years remain in the spotlight a while longer.
If there is a legal or procedural reason why Judge McAfee shouldn’t or could not have just dismissed Ms. Merchant’s filing out of hand, I’d appreciate someone explaining that, because that would have been the expeditious thing to do. Absent that, we should be able to expect that, on Feb. 15, he will keep the hearing short, to the point, and then get the trial back on track. This has gone on too long, even given the glacial pace at which the wheels of American justice turn. I’ve said before and reiterate, innocent people have no incentive to delay their appearance before the bar of justice so that they can be exonerated and get back to their business – the American people are the aggrieved party here and deserve a speedy trial in Fulton County, Washington, D.C, New York, and Florida.
Hi Dave,
My view on this is that, as we expect of our Judges, the appearance of impropriety should be avoided. Regardless of whether there's anything wrong in her actions, it's the appearance, and her apparent blindness to and unpreparedness for the very predictable "outrage" expressed by the other side. At the very least, she should have reported something up the food chain, to cover her butt. When I was in the corporate world, if there was ever a chance that something could be perceived as inappropriate, it was supposed to be (but not always) reported. To me, that's the real issue here, and I think it IS a real issue. I hope the judge finds that there's nothing wrong and the case proceeds apace, but I believe her handling of this has been an unforced error, and I would fully expect any defendant to try to exploit it.
Well written, Dave. Now, when it comes to the Taylor Swift Super Bowl Conspiracy, then we really have something to worry about—worry about the sanity of a part of our country. Lemme see. Donald Trump has sex with a porn star while his wife recovers from childbirth and then pays off the porn star with laundered money to keep her quiet. Donald Trump rapes a newspaper columnist—the female Hunter S. Thompson of her day—and gets hit with a nearly $90 million legal judgement. But, but, but a prosecutor has a perfectly legal affection for a fellow prosecutor and—the SKY IS FALLING! Well, I guess the Taylor Swift Super Bowl Conspiracy people and—oh, yes, the pizza place child sex ring believers—will believe pretty much everything.