Why politicians can’t be jurors

Posted by Marc Hodak on January 29, 2009 under Politics, Scandal | Be the First to Comment

Gov. Blagojevich asked the Illinois Senate that is acting as jury in his impeachment trial, “How can you throw a governor out of office who is clamoring and begging and pleading with you to give him a chance to bring witnesses in to prove his innocence?”

The answer kind of lies in the question, I think.

Hey, I don’t know if Blago is guilty or not.  My prejudice of politicians says, “Of course he tried to use his public office for private gain.  What are you thinking?”  My prejudice of prosecutors and the press is along the lines of “Sentence first–verdict afterwards.”  I’ve been teaching about scandal long enough to know that scandal is a creature driven by raw emotion.  Nevertheless, I can’t summon the outrage about his proceedings.  He and his accusers are in the profession they have chosen.

The whole spectacle serves as a great civics lesson about the wisdom of the constitutional prohibition on bills of attainder.