Earth to Merrick Garland

[Cyrano]

I have never posted to a thread regarding Merrick Garland, or the DOJ, or Special Counsel, Jack Smith.

HOWEVER.

Do I really need to repeat anything that hasn't been said a million times here on DU, Mr. Attorney General?

WHEN?

[Ocelot II]

1. I'm sure he reads DU religiously.

[JohnSJ]

7. Not only that, but he personally calls me to find out what I think

[Ocelot II]

9. Meh. He calls me up and does exactly what I tell him to do!

[JohnSJ]

11. Wow! You win

[panader0]

23. Ah, so you're the culprit! Tell him to tell Smith to find the gas pedal. The mental health of DU

depends on it.

[JohnSJ]

79. +++

[Ray Bruns]

43. Well, if you're talking to him, tell him to get on the ball.

[Sky Jewels]

2. Seriously!!! It's been two effing years!!!

[Goodheart]

40. When does lack of urgency amount to incompetence?

[rubbersole]

42. Top secret documents aren't going to sell themselves.

[Sky Jewels]

48. I'm not sure, but I think we're well past that point.

[msfiddlestix]

53. Earth to my Du Peeps, it ain't happening anytime soon. So let's move along, cuz there is literally

nothing to see here. nada zip. nada zing.



n

[Jarqui]

3. The legal games seems to be like dominoes

They get a minion to plead and flip on someone above him.
Up the chain of command they go.
No one is in a hurry in case there is a development that could bail them out.

Recently, Proud Boys or Oath Keepers leaders were convicted so they're working their way up.

And they're being extra careful given who their ultimate target is.

It takes time.

[onecaliberal]

5. It only take time for rich white men. And only in America.

Brazil has it right. No one here will face consequences. Wait until Dems start getting locked up. What will the excuses be then?

[Jarqui]

14. Like we saw in Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman and

Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, I believe that there are good Americans in the Department of Justice who are determined to see this through.

Due to the unlevel playing field favoring the rich white men, they have to be extra careful and diligent. If they rush it and blow the case, how are we going to feel then?

I get the sense there is a methodical, careful approach that is being taken.

There was a recent article posted today about the heat the local police took for the grisly murders of four University of Idaho students. They took the heat and kept working the case. They got help from the State police labs and the FBI. They got DNA, made an arrest and look like they can nail the guy. Yet throughout the case, the public handwringing was like they were doing nothing.

Maybe we've been spoiled by all the police shows or movies that allow us to see them nail the culprits.

I still believe that there are counterparts like Goodman and Dunn in the DoJ - great Americans - going about the business of nailing these folks.

[onecaliberal]

15. We will see how that works out. There is way more than enough already.

[Jarqui]

21. There is plenty of evidence to indict according to many

But they need a rock solid, bulletproof case for conviction.
There are not many touting that have that yet for Jan 6th.

They seem to have better cases for Classified Docs at Mar-a-lago and for messing with the GA election.

I suspect the civil cases against Trump for Jan 6th are pretty good but they don't have to prove beyond reasonable doubt or overcome all the legal technicalities Trump's criminal defense lawyers will throw in their path.

Things happen for a reason.

[onecaliberal]

26. Because we can't believe our ears and eyes when we see him

Commit every element of the crime in public.

[orangecrush]

58. THIS

[Justice matters.]

45. It seems like they (could) want to bring all the charges at once.

Why not start with the (urgent) Classified docs case first, let the evidence show the intent (on his OWN allegedly illegal platform...) and get a conviction by convincing jurors using the statutes in the big blue book.

If a juror or more show partisanship, halt the process, expel the trumpsters, and restart jurors selection.

It's pretty clear what lifelong criminal hair furhair is guilty of in that case.

Waiting to bring all the cases together at once will just confuse the whole thing I am afraid, and now some of his co-conspirators have been re-elected to Congress!

[SergeStorms]

57. Not only might it confuse the case(s)....

but in the meantime these criminals are free to continue their destruction of the United States of America, dispense government secrets, and a host of other criminal activity.

Sooner or later the DOJ has to get a tourniquet on their criminality. If they don't, they may as well tell the Trump crime family they can do whatever they please, and there will be no repercussions for whatever they do.

[Jarqui]

65. I do not think that is happening because different

law enforcement is involved:

Mar-a-lago classified docs is a different Federal case than Jan 6th.
Special counsel Jack Smith is now overseeing Mar-a-lago and PARTS of Jan 6th
BUT

Georgia (which could also be federally charged) is currently being handled by the State of Georgia.

NY is currently being handled by the State of NY as a civil case but that could flip into a criminal case (and, like Georgia, it could also become a Federal case).

States charges are preferential because a Republican President can't pardon Trump or Trump can't try to produce a pardon he gave himself (that most seem to think would fail).

I think these cases are complicated enough without trying to line them all up with each other.

Now, there are bound to be some overlaps of evidence:
Docs they found in Mar-a-lago might help the other cases - some have been reported already
What Georgia found as modus operandi for example might apply to Michigan or other states they're looking at for state election interference
The tax returns might help the NY cases become criminal
The evidence collected by the House Jan 6th committee will probably feed some of the other cases or provide leads for DoJ or States to chase
The raid of Rudy Giuliani's offices is probably bearing fruits of evidence or leads they're chasing down.
The plea deals they're cutting grows the witness list and clarifies the criminal picture
etc

The number of potential violations of statutes is likely at least in the hundreds - maybe thousands.
What transactions did Trump ever do that were squeaky clean legit? He's a chronically lying crime machine - who really isn't that good at it or smart about it. His seemingly endless crimes probably make the average prosecutor's head spin. It is going to take some time to figure this mess out and prove it in court - though they've probably short listed due to resource limits.

[Fiendish Thingy]

39. Joshua Schulte is white, but he's not rich

It took three years to indict him for espionage, two years to convict.

[Justice matters.]

47. He didn't brag about his crime on his own allegedly illegal social media platform.

You know... intent... "they're mine. MINE" he posted.

[Fiendish Thingy]

75. No, he just posted classified information where the public could download it

Are you suggesting that Justice should be swifter and easier because Trump bragged about it publicly?

That’s ludicrous.

[Justice matters.]

77. Yes. Definitely.

Sorry for the 'misquote'.


If you robbed a bank and got away with it temporarily, then you posted publicly the money is yours, are you suggesting that Justice should be swift and easy to prove you robbed the Bank?

[brooklynite]

4. When the case is ready. And not a minute sooner.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

6. There is the correct answer!

If there are going to be prosecutions of Donald J Trump--and i believe there should be and will be--they need to be successful and lead to convictions.

Cases are being readied. They will move when their cases are rock-solid.

[Iwasthere]

30. Meanwhile he hosts Brazils ex pres

...and meets with Bannon right before Brazil's eerily similar coop attempt

[Sky Jewels]

51. Exactly. The majority of Republicans tried to overthrow the government. Then ... nothing.

They got to stay in Congress. ... And Brazilian right wing assholes follow the urging of still-not-imprisoned U.S. fascist coup attempters.

Embarrassing!!!

[msfiddlestix]

59. That's Correct It is not ready now, and it never will be.

That's the reality. The rest is fantasy,

[brooklynite]

69. Perhaps you should bring this up with his boss?

I think his address is in the directory.

[msfiddlestix]

71. Why would I want to do that? besides, based on your postings, you're the one on the inside

I know you love to pull that out of your hat, but it's really not a thing and you know it.

[brooklynite]

72. I -do- have points of contact with the DNC (and indirectly with the Administration)

...but I'm not whining about Garland's apparent failings.

[msfiddlestix]

73. Well, you do your share of whining. How is accepting Reality whining in your book?

The earth is not flat, Sun rises in the East and Sets in the West.

Facts

Another inconvenient fact. There is NOTHING to SEE here. Move on along.

Accept it now, or wait till years from now when there's some sort of redacted report and a few hands get slapped, maybe.

I suggest, to start accepting it now.


That's all I'm saying. That isn't anything close to whining.

[brooklynite]

74. People have been complaining that Garland will never do anything for more than a year...

...as he's racked up prosecutions and convictions of increasing culpability, working his way up the list of those involved...just like he announced he would.

[msfiddlestix]

76. That's interesting. Pretty sure the main culprits, are foot loose and fancy free.. to put it mildly

So when I say Nothing to See Here...

Bannon, Flint, Rudy, countless Congress Critters in both houses, etc etc remain unscathed.

I'm not whining.

I'm accepting Reality. That's quite different. Because I finally have come to accept it, I no longer expect it.

I say to my friends, it's really quite liberating to finally see it with this perspective.

Have a good day..

[Lucinda]

63. +1

❤️ ✿❧🌿❧✿ ❤️

[Stuart G]

84. That is it...That is all!!!

Why? The case must convict the culprit, and go through lots of tests and re=tests...It must be perfect to withstand
the pitfalls of: Indicting a ..........Former President of the United States........

,,,,,,,,,,and Trump will use those pitfalls to avoid prosecution......

The New York Atty General, Letitia “Tish” James, might have a stronger chance of convicting Trump because the
charges are ..........."Tax Cheating".............................

They got Al Capone on .........Tax Cheating..............not the murders he committed or ordered.

[WA-03 Democrat]

8. Why wait?

It will not happen. It could have and should have been done last year. There is no law and there is no equal justice

[Ocelot II]

10. I'm going to start bookmarking some of these Garland Sucks threads

for when the indictments come out.

[LakeArenal]

22. Yes......

I’m waiting for the DUer that doom and gloomed the great 2020 Democratic losses….

Said would meet up after election.

[Fiendish Thingy]

37. The Crow Cafe will be doing brisk business on opening day

There’s a rumour there will be several franchises nationwide.

[Ocelot II]

68. I remember a couple of summers ago after the killing of George Floyd

when there were a whole lot of similarly dire predictions about how the cops would never be arrested (they were); that they would never be prosecuted (they were, and the chief prosecutor was just appointed a federal judge); that if they were tried they would be acquitted (they weren't); and that if they were acquitted they'd never serve time in prison (they are all in prison now). A fair amount of crow was served up then, too.

[SergeStorms]

85. You'd have so many bookmarked already...

DU would need another terabyte of memory to store them all.

However, that doesn't mean they're wrong.

Maybe one day we'll find out why the DOJ has moved at a glacial pace when the evidence seems so obvious. I think the people of the U.S. deserve some insight in that area.

[republianmushroom]

12. 23 months and counting

[brooklynite]

20. Take a look at how long it took to indict the senior WH Staff for Watergate...

...without armchair prosecutors and social media.

[Scrivener7]

44. It took 7 months to jail those who planned and executed the break-in.

[brooklynite]

55. And we've prosecuted the Proud Boys who planned the organized assault

But we both know the complaint is about Trump and his WH staff.

[republianmushroom]

80. The proud boys didn't plan the insurrection we saw on Jan. 06 2020

trump and his cronies did. And we are still waiting for an indictment.
23 months and counting

[Scrivener7]

89. Exactly. We still haven't got even the names of the Congresspeople who were giving

frickin' TOURS to the insurrectionists in the days before the attack.

Only now, TWO YEARS LATER, is Jack Smith dropping paperwork that makes it clear someone is finally investigating the meetings at the Willard Hotel "command center."

[republianmushroom]

91. you got it correct

[Fiendish Thingy]

36. 24 months

Or are you not using the Gregorian calendar?

[republianmushroom]

78. not yet

[Fiendish Thingy]

81. That must make it really difficult to schedule appointments

I mean the rest of the world (not counting religious calendars) has been using the Gregorian calendar for nigh on 500 years now, so don’t you think it’s time you joined the rest of us?

I mean everyone know it’s 24 months from January 6 2021 to January 6 2023.

As someone so obsessed with counting, I would think that kind of accuracy would be important to you.

Unless you’re using some other kind of metric to measure the starting date for the “delay” of Justice for the January 6 insurrectionists and coup architects…

[republianmushroom]

83. patience grasshopper, patience

it will all be laid out soon. I hope

[Fiendish Thingy]

88. How many box tops do I need to send in for the secret decoder ring?

I’m gonna need one to decipher your posts.

[republianmushroom]

93. no more. The counting started the day that the Biden administration took over the Dept. Of Justice

Jan. 20, 2021

Before Jan. 20 of 2021 the Justice Dept. was controlled by Republicans. Knowing this the chance of trump being investigated,
indicted, arrested and in a court room was none So the counting did not start on Jan. 06, 2021. After Jan. 20, 2021 the Dem's took over the Justice Dept. .
There was no number of months or any counting at 16 months and counting, or at 20 months and counting, but at 22 months and counting with patience worn beyond thin the counting started and will continue until there is an indictment or the Department of Justice says there is not enough evidence to indict. one or the other.
One small thing it took the Department of Justice more than 20 months to form a team and name a team with a special investigator
to (Jack Smith) lead it.
As I said the months and counting will continue. Patience is being totally gone.

[Fiendish Thingy]

94. Just to clarify, it's not *THE* counting, it's *YOUR* counting

Created in your imagination, from an arbitrary date unrelated to the date the crimes were committed, and only then as retroactive measure of the limit of your patience.

Got it.

[republianmushroom]

92. apology to you

I should not of posted my flip posting that I did, Please accept my apology for dong so
thank you
republianmushroom

[SledDriver]

13. Be sure to light your Merrick Garland hopium scented votive candle every night

and say three hail Muellers!

[onecaliberal]

16. 👆🏻

[Autumn]

29. You forgot two prayers to Saint Fitzmas.

[Chautauquas]

17. I'm sure he'll make a move any day now

I mean, any year now. Maybe.

[UTUSN]

19. Otoh, news item says the GA grand jury has finished itself up...

[DET]

24. Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future

I’m convinced that Trump will be dead by the time they are finally ready to indict him. How much longer can that grotesque undisciplined pig last?

[LakeArenal]

25. I believe DOJ will indict. I've argued with my best DU friend about the waiting.

I do have to admit…. It’s taking a hell of a long time.

[luv2fly]

27. It'd be nice to have a "Criticize DOJ" forum here on DU

That way all the folks who have no tolerance for the pace it is taking could talk to each other, and spare the rest of us.

[Fiendish Thingy]

35. We already have a forum for that

It’s called “Creative Speculation”, the place for evidence-free ponderings…

[luv2fly]

38. Hah, thanks for the chuckle

Sadly people don't put those posts there!

[secondwind]

28. People say he's been working on this for 2 years, but I don't think

that is correct. Garland has been busy with court cases, most all of them about the January 6 insurrection.

I think he only recently turned his attention to this case. Remember, they first had to be very accurate about Trump’s involvement etc.

That is how I see it.

[BumRushDaShow]

52. Garland wasn't even nominated/confirmed/sworn in as AG

until March 2021.

Senate confirms Merrick Garland as U.S. attorney general

Published Wed, Mar 10 20212:49 PM EST Updated Wed, Mar 10 20215:39 PM EST

Tucker Higgins


The Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Merrick Garland as attorney general, placing the longtime federal appeals court judge and onetime Supreme Court pick at the helm of an agency central to President Joe Biden’s domestic policy agenda.

The vote was 70-30.

(snip)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/10/merrick-garland-confirmed-as-us-attorney-general-by-senate.html

He was sworn in the next day.

MARCH 11, 2021

Per DU however, he was actually in a Bill Barr costume as AG and initially causing DOJ havoc back in 2020 but then switched gears and was "investigating" before the inauguration happened on January 20, 2021 and would fully use 45's U.S Attorneys who were still in place because there was no such thing as Biden actually needing to nominate his OWN U.S. Attorneys, and get them confirmed.

[Iwasthere]

31. In the meantime I think they should at least muzzle him. Meetings with Brazil's ex president should

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

32. AG Garland: "Everyone is treated exactly the same under the rule of law."

"Except Donald Trump, of course."

[Evolve Dammit]

33. Garland should have remained a judge. McConnell prevented him being a SCJ which he should have been.

[Fiendish Thingy]

34. I subscribe to Garland's substack newsletter, w/daily updates, transcripts and indictment calendar.

agmerrickgarland.substack.com

A must read for every American concerned about Justice.

[ShazzieB]

41. Maybe you should address this to Jack Smith.

Garland turned the whole thing over to Smith, less than 2 months ago, when he was living in the Hague, working at the World Court. He's been recovering from a leg injury (bicycle accident) sad was only recently able to travel back to the U.S.

Smith was not involved with any of this stuff until November 18, 2022, and he is not responsible for anything the DOJ did or didn't do (which we know nothing about anyway) prior to his getting involved.

Whatever problems anyone may have with Garland, at this point investigating Donald Trump is not his circus, not his monkeys. Those things belong to Jack Smith now, and he's barely getting started. I suggest we give him a chance.

[louis-t]

46. With our luck he'll probably drop dead on the day

the indictments finally happen.

[Ocelot II]

67. I'd actually be OK with that.

What I want more than anything is for him just to go the fuck away so I don't have to hear anything he says or see his ugly orange face ever again. If that means death, exile, alien abduction, prison or any other thing that makes him go away, fine.

[louis-t]

95. Hmm, alien abduction. What a wonderful idea.

I prefer broke and in prison for 20 years then death.

[Ocelot II]

96. I'm afraid that once they were finished probing him they'd give him back.

[louis-t]

97. And he'd still be a blithering idiot.

Even if they kept part of what he calls a brain for further study.

[cstanleytech]

49. Question is not "when" rather it's "will" as in will he be given preferential treatment?

So far the answer seems to be that he will be given that.

[bdamomma]

50. We are sounding

a May Day here man!!!!!!!!

[orangecrush]

54. Brazil has embarrassed us

With their swift upholding of rule of law and democracy.

[Ocelot II]

61. You mean, by easily arresting people entering an empty building

on a Sunday when nobody was there who needed protection?

[orangecrush]

70. Yeah

They were just tourists, right?

[nwduke]

56. Right on

This clown has broken the law so many times throughout his life and abuses the courts, to get away with it? No wonder he screams “witch-hunt” he never gets convicted! The legal system is broken when white collar crime gets a slap on the wrist for major crimes, but some poor slob in a southern state goes to jail for years for getting caught with a joint!🤬

[Orrex]

60. Even more frustrating than Garland's apparent lack of interest in doing anything

is the troupe of cheerleaders who insult, belittle, and condescend to everyone who doesn't smile daily at their own Merrick Garland poster and say "You just take all the time you need, Mr. Attorney General."

They're quick to point out--even in this thread--that critics don't know what Garland is actually doing, as if they themselves have any idea of what Garland is actually doing.


But for mercy's sake, don't question The System! That would be even worse than letting the obviously guilty Trump walk free!

[Ocelot II]

64. Does that "doing nothing" include appointing a special prosecutor

who has hired 20 more prosecutors, has issued subpoenas to election officials in multiple states, and has just hired two specialists in public corruption cases? Or is that a different Jack Smith?

[Orrex]

66. Depends on the result

You're playing a familiar tune, by the way: mocking the critic by invoking the reputation of The Great Man, be it Smith or Garland.

If Trump and other high-ranking participants wind up in jail, then appointing Smith was the right call. If not, then it ultimately counts as doing nothing.


And let's not waste time on stuff like "bUt BaNnOn'S gUiLtY oF cOnTeMpT" while we're at it. That would be like celebrating because an obviously guilty murderer hasn't faced homicide charges but got still slapped with a parking ticket.

[Scrivener7]

90. Jack Smith is ALREADY dropping a paper trail that gives us an idea of the things he is working on.

There was NO such trail under Garland, and the cheerleaders insisted that was evidence that the DOJ "doesn't leak."

I guess Jack Smith is just a big ol' leaker then, because he's actually showing lots of evidence of activity.

[Warpy]

62. As far as going after a former head of state goes, they've moved at lightning speed

It usually takes a decade or more to start to go after these assholes, at least that has been the experience in other countries where people finally had enough to the point said Fearless Leader finally left office, voluntarily or involuntarily. Some of those bastards have managed to die of old age in a comfy bed while proceedings were just starting. Others managed to decamp to a tropical exile when the hounds got too close, following their stolen millions to a posh tax haven.

Having this get as far as it has within two years is pretty amazing. I don't think TFG will do us the favor of fleeing, he's going to be convinced even as prison doors clang shut behind him that he's invulnerable. I just don't think he's going to hear that sound any time soon. I think the indictments will be sealed unless he actually manages to get himself into office again (notice I didn't say elected).

His enablers are another story, the same one we saw with Nixon and Reagan. He's going to be denied the claque he's not related to, and that will damage him greatly as a public figure.

[Polybius]

82. Well, he just did something tonight

Unfortunately, it was against his own Party.

[Ocelot II]

86. Isn't the DoJ supposed to be impartial and not biased toward or against

either party? At least that's what I thought we wanted, not a Democratic version of Bill Barr.

[Polybius]

87. Impartial is fine

But he does seem to go pretty hard on Democrats and no so hard on Trump.