By Ray Cardello for September 9, 2023, Season 21 / Post 46

The actions of the District Attorney and the Grand Jury in Fulton County, Georgia, should alarm every citizen in this country. This Grand Jury convened in 2022 to investigate any criminal activity involving the 2020 Presidential election. The Jury finalized its report in December 2022. The District Attorney did not act on the recommendations until recently when the DA indicted Former President Donald Trump and 17 staff members and associates. The Grand Jury also recommended charges against Senators Graham and Perdue. This runaway jury was motivated to recommend charges against as many people as possible. This Jury was drunk on power, and District Attorney Willis is using this Jury to indict Trump and members of his staff to influence the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election. That may seem like a rash statement or assumption, but the proof is in her actions and scheduling of trials to coincide with the scheduled Republican Convention and Primaries. These trials would take Donald Trump away from these critical events as he runs for President of the United States.

I have not served on a Grand Jury but was called to Jury Duty for a month at the Massachusetts State Supreme Court and served as a jury member on three trials. I enjoyed the experience, but it was an eye-opening event and an excellent study of human nature. You would expect to be among various personality types and political leaning individuals, and you would not be disappointed. The disappointment came in the level of seriousness that the members had. Some took their role seriously, paid attention to the testimony, weighed the evidence, and debated their stance. Others were there strictly against their will, did not take the procedure seriously, and voted with no conviction. This would not be my choice of a jury of my peers, and I fear this is what we saw in Georgia.

Fulton County, Georgia, is a predominantly Democrat area of Georgia and voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden. They are not just for Joe Biden, but they despise Donald Trump. With their newfound power as members of a Grand Jury, they saw and seized an opportunity to harm the Former President. The like-minded DA is using this Jury to make a name for herself on the National level. A District Attorney should be as blind as Lady Liberty, but in this case, DA Willis is far from blind. She is opportunistic in filing the indictments but will overplay her hand should she pursue charges against United States Senators. She may trade her perception of power into the reality of embarrassment in front of the Supreme Court, which will not take lightly the weaponization of the Court against a Former President and sitting Senators.

Our Judicial system is the envy of the Free World, but like much of Government, the system is broken. It does not need to be dismantled, but it does require repair, and it could start with a better relationship between the DA and Jury. The role of the DA is not to manipulate the Jury, but they do need to guide and educate the Jury on the law and their role. Unfortunately, being unbiased in today’s Justice Department at every level is nearly impossible, which makes anyone’s fate in a Jury Trial a crap shoot and not one of blind justice.