"And justice for all," is the last phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance, at least for now. Today, Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before the House Judiciary Committee regarding oversight of the Department of Justice.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) did not spare any sweat asking Garland about lawfare against Donald Trump:
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) also wanted some answers regarding the FBI's handling of evidence in the Mar-a-Lago raid:
Jim Jordan Spars With Garland Over Jack Smith 'Tampering' With Evidence In Mar-A-Lago Raid pic.twitter.com/cBwH4yK0yu
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 4, 2024
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) also had some pertinent questions for Garland regarding Trump but started by lighting the AG up like a Christmas tree over the border.
Garland had more moves than a garter snake in a barrel of 10W-30. But at this point, only the most committed leftists or bought-and-paid-for members of the deep state would be inclined to take his side. While the hearing made for some dramatic moments, I doubt anything will come of it, at least during this administration.
It is a foregone conclusion that under the Democrat party, the amount and type of justice one receives is directly proportional to one's political persuasion, cause, or utility to the lawmakers and enforcers. Those factors make all the difference between a criminal and a peaceful protester/SJW/underserved person. Provided the right kind of people commit the right kind of crimes, they are no big deal or perhaps not even crimes at all. Rioting, looting vandalism, and assault can be overlooked, so long as they serve the Official Narrative™. But the wrong kind of people should expect no such latitude.
In case you missed it, on May 31, the Justice Department announced:
Paulette Harlow was sentenced today to 24 months in prison following her convictions for federal conspiracy against rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offenses in connection with the blockade of a Washington, D.C., area reproductive health clinic on Oct. 22, 2020.
Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division commented, “Today, the final defendant was sentenced in an elaborate conspiracy by 10 people to intentionally and forcibly block patients and workers from accessing a reproductive health clinic while streaming it live online. The FBI will not stand for anyone who violates federal laws causing destruction, injury, and violent attacks like this one. We are dedicated to protecting the rights of all Americans to safely access medical services and ensuring providers can perform their duties freely.”
The Daily Caller reports that Harlow is 75 years old. She is wheelchair-bound and suffers from Hashimoto's disease and back pain that requires her to use a wheelchair. She is hardly the picture of a fiery, dangerous activist. Her attorney asked the judge for leniency, as did her husband, John. He told the court, “I feel like Paulette is dying. In my heart, I think she’s having a hard time staying alive.”
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly actually found Harlow's husband's pleas for leniency amusing and took the opportunity to make light of the situation.
The sentencing was passed by Judge Kollar-Kotelly. After Harlow's husband begged for mercy, expressing his fear that his wife would die alone in prison, the judge taunted that maybe Harlow would "make an effort to remain alive” because that is a “tenet of [Harlow’s] religion.” pic.twitter.com/Bs4xwiycJh
— Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) June 3, 2024
So much for the dignity of the bench.
Harlow is under house arrest and will report to prison when a "suitable facility" is found.
Whether or not Harlow violated the FACE Act is not the point. The point is that judges around the country have routinely released dangerous criminals in the name of equity or some other progressive talking point. As Roy pointed out, this is particularly true in terms of border security.
Garland is confident enough to try to slither his way around the law. But a judge not only refuses to exercise any latitude when it comes to a 75-year-old woman whose chances of violence are less-than-nil but makes a joke when the issue is raised that the defendant might not survive her prison term.
It may be time to change the last line of the Pledge to "...and our version of justice for some."
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