Ex US president was recently arrested for multiple charges, facing 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Social media and the new way to process news - late night talk shows - were abuzz with the expectation of the arrest. Jokes and serious discussion too about him being behind bars, with leg irons, handcuffs and orange overalls where all doing its rounds.
When the time came, it was for the accused, more like "a day trip to the park", then "down to the bay to get get cuffed". Firstly, before the whole media circus unfolded in New York, the ex president was given the option of having his arraignment concluded over a Zoom call. When he arrived in New York, he was not taken to a holding cell, put into cuffs, and kept with other prisoners. He was taken by his team, including armed security detail that he arrived with, and sat down, all explained to him. And then he was let go, where he promptly started naming the DA, the judge and their families in a vile display of I-don't-how-to-describe-it.
That is not how criminal or candidate-prisoners are treated, not only in the US, but all over the World, really. We are exposed time and time again how people are beaten, verbally abused, killed, and treated in very inhumane conditions during the time of arrest. The principle of innocent until proven guilty stands for nothing in many cases of arrest.
After pleading not guilty and jetting back to his home in his private plane (talk about a "flight risk", mmmm), he want on to rant and rave about how he is being treated unfairly, and how the system was at fault, and how the criminal justice system is out to get him. Sadly, he never spoke about how the charges, irrespective of how 'minor' they are, point to illegal activity and how anyone found guilty of even the smallest crimes is another drop that muddies the swamp.
Easy for him to demand he be treated fairly. Did he think about that when he called for the death penalty for the Central Park 5 kids, who, at the end of the day, was exonerated and cleared of all charges.
Did the criminal justice system offer the same courtesy to him that they offer other criminals.
Probably not, but it shows they can do it.
So let's hope this is setting the way for the new face of the law when effecting arrests.
