Barr is a disgrace, but I think that if trump loses the next election, there is nothing stopping the next dept of justice/SDNY from indicting him. He hasn't been exonerated. He's still Individual 1, he just can't be prosecuted while in office because of the DOJ memo (which is just policy, but has been followed since 1973). However, as long as the statute of limitations doesn't expire then he can still be prosecuted down the line. That's a big if though, and one of the reasons trump desperately wants another term, so he can run out the clock.
Lynn, Thank you for the clarification about the statute of limitations. Blue is a wonderful color for a wave in November. And thanks to progressives, T's alleged crimes will not go away even if Barr is able to ignore them for now. I get a vision of Barr keeping a running list of all of the potential legal hazards his boss faces and a staff of people whose job it is to protect T.
Anyone see some of the names in Epstein's little black book? Clinton, Prince Andrew, Tony Blair, Kissinger, and Bill Cosby are the names everyone is going to focus on, but theres an interesting name hidden in that list-Rupert Murdoch. If he is involved, that would completely explain Fox News' all in approach on Trump early on and why they are pushing so hard to keep this all covered up.
One of my sisters pointed out that Epstein, like Cosby, Trump, and Weinstein, belong to a predator class. Before they were nameless. Regardless of the sentences they receive, there is a lot of power in the simple naming of them.
I've read that early last Tuesday Epstein was found in his cell, semi-conscious, with marks on his neck. He was back in his cell on Wednesday, apparently okay. They don’t know whether it was an assault, attempted suicide, or an attack orchestrated by Epstein so he could be relocated to another facility. Right now he’s on suicide watch.
Hopefully Epstein is in a solitary cell. He could potentially bring down some of the most powerful men in the world. Those names need to be revealed and if anyone in the criminal justice system is a target right now, it's probably Epstein.
He's not in a solitary cell. He tried to hang himself and was found by his cellmate, who alerted the guards and saved him. Apparently, the conditions in the jail where he's been for 2 weeks are appalling.
Good article about it here:
I'm sort of surprised he would try to kill himself. He must be one hell of a narcissist to have abused so many girls. But maybe he sees the writing on the wall? Maybe he's afraid someone else will take him out and he'd rather do it himself.
What about the idea that someone much farther up the chain ordered Epstein scared into submission? Or ordered him killed but didn’t have time to complete the job? There are people with a lot of money and power to lose if he doesn’t keep quiet. Controlling him was my first impression when I heard about his injury and condition.
Barr is a disgrace, but I think that if trump loses the next election, there is nothing stopping the next dept of justice/SDNY from indicting him. He hasn't been exonerated. He's still Individual 1, he just can't be prosecuted while in office because of the DOJ memo (which is just policy, but has been followed since 1973). However, as long as the statute of limitations doesn't expire then he can still be prosecuted down the line. That's a big if though, and one of the reasons trump desperately wants another term, so he can run out the clock.
@lynnventura, I seem to recall you maybe being an attorney or legal scholar (did I just invent that?), in which case, you will know far better than I, but I've been reading some of the legal arguments for and against a "statute of limitations tolling" in this case.
Tolling essentially refers to a kind of pause button on the clock for the statute. If tolling were applied, DT couldn't use reelection to beat justice.
The legal argument in favor of tolling here is that a president can't both be immune from prosecution while in office, and also enjoy the running of the clock on the statute of limitations for his alleged crimes. That's monarchy, not democracy. The '73 DOJ memo was presented with the stated intention of protecting the Office of the Presidency (and thereby, our national security), not the guy who happens to be holding it.
Even so, some legal scholars say that tolling would be difficult, if not impossible, to argue and present all kinds of constitutional hand-wringing to prove their position. I've never so much as opened a law school textbook, but I feel like anybody with enough decency and good sense can see that tolling is merited in this case. That doesn't mean it will be applied, but I thought I'd bring it up.