Trump’s indictment was the start of justice’s downfall

By Catherine Maxwell

Did democracy die with Donald Trump’s arraignment? Perhaps not––but justice certainly did. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought a set of 34 counts against the former president, including falsifying business records, which is the lowest level felony in the state. Currently, it appears unlikely that Trump will be convicted, but the mere fact that he was charged should be enough to cause outcry––not about him, but about the gross misuse of judicial proceedings. If Trump actually committed a crime, he should be charged. It’s the ludicrousness of his alleged crime that tears a rift in the judicial process and sets the precedent for scores of politically-motivated indictments.

First, Bragg is clearly not motivated by justice. He has a history of releasing felons such as career criminal Rodney Johnson or Harold Gooding, who has been arrested more than 100 times. Bragg isn’t interested in stopping the people who shove women onto subway tracks; he’d rather chase the moments of fame that come with charging a former U.S. president.

He’s probably going to fail, and Trump will raise millions of dollars off of his latest persecution. The media will have something new to say about Trump and benefit from a surge in ratings. As the drama fades into the background of the 2024 primaries, it will only be considered the reason why so many are rallying to Trump’s side or organizing themselves against him.

Meanwhile, justice is floundering.

Republicans will not forget this moment. They have a long history of letting Democrats change the rules. Take, for example, the Democrats abolishing the filibuster for U.S. Supreme Court justice confirmations. They have certainly benefited from it; but it also allowed Republicans to confirm three justices during Trump’s presidency.

What happens when Biden eventually leaves office? If the Department of Justice chooses not to indict him, will some no-name DA decide to cry “Hunter Biden” and press charges? Will they bother putting together a real case, or will they just shrug and rely on the support from loyal Republicans?

Once Republicans retaliate, the war has truly begun. Democrats will look to charge the next Republican president with anything from a real crime to having an abrasive personality. Both sides will continue to escalate the cycle.

This trend of arresting people because of who they are––not what they’ve done––will water down the justice system until an arrest means nothing. If a former president didn’t do something wrong––well, there will always be something ambiguous to pounce on. If he did do something wrong, his supporters will cry witch hunt, and any legitimacy in the proceedings will be lost.

Is this what Americans want their judicial system to become? A circus of weak, uncertain charges? A whirlpool of hot takes where one side refuses to admit any wrongdoing and the other believes they’ve found the devil incarnate?

The political implications are uncertain at best. Trump’s indictment might secure him the 2024 Republican nomination; then again, it might not. Democrats have the joy of seeing Trump in the courtroom, but that’s as far as their satisfaction will go. It’s a poor excuse for mismanaging justice, but even if they weren’t, the benefits simply aren’t there.

No one will stop to consider this, of course. Republicans would appear weak if they didn’t retaliate; they might claim injustice now, but it won’t stop them later. Democrats, if Biden is charged, will bemoan the state of justice but ignore their own violations.

Is there a way to avoid this grim judicial future? Not if our political parties follow the habits they’ve developed after years of attempts to one-up each other.

Catherine Maxwell is a freshman studying the liberal arts.