Comments on: Criminalization of politics: one data point https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/criminalization-of-politics-one-data-point/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Sun, 22 Nov 2015 11:14:39 +0000 hourly 1 By: asdfasdf https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/criminalization-of-politics-one-data-point/comment-page-1/#comment-330056 Sun, 22 Nov 2015 11:14:39 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56330#comment-330056 I would divide political cases into two types. In the first, a criminal prosecution is initiated in order to gain specific political advantage, but the act itself is not political in nature. Examples of these include the Clinton perjury investigation; or the Scooter Libby prosecution. In these kinds of cases, the prosecutors publicly maintain that they are merely disinterestedly enforcing the rule of law.

The second type involves the prosecution of political activity itself. The calls for prosecution of some climate scientists (and the criminal investigation of Exxon); the indictments of Rick Perry; the Nakoula prosecution; the Wisconsin “John Doe” cases; and the latest call to prosecute Trump would be examples of this second type.

Although such prosecutions still seem unusual, the broad acceptance of these tactics by major politicians and most media outlets appears to be a recent phenomenon in the U.S.

]]> By: spo https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/criminalization-of-politics-one-data-point/comment-page-1/#comment-330043 Sun, 22 Nov 2015 03:26:52 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56330#comment-330043 T”heir stakes will be higher yet if the price of coming out on the losing side in an election or debate is to face potential prosecution.”

prosecution or, um persecution.

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